Tuesday in Review

Sometimes I feel like all I do is pick up quilts and put them away. Maybe because it's so darn fun!

However, today wasn't one of those days. This morning Addie and I drove over to Joseph-Beth Booksellers, on the eastside, to for a reading and signing of Haiku Baby. The author and illustrator is a friend of Genna's, and signed one of Addison's favorite books, Peanut Butter and Jelly Fishes, as shower gift from Genna and Elise.

The reading was great, and the book is adorable. Even better, we discovered that Addie is old enough to enjoy story time and to fully explore all the toys the store has out to play with. It was funny to see her among a gaggle of other babies and toddlers, still being as confident and loud as always.

After our book outing we headed home, with Elise in tow, giving Genna the afternoon off. Elise, Addie and I soaked up the extremely warm weather by playing in the pool and with Addie's River Run Water Park (Thanks, Gran & Gramps Johnson!!).

Addison finally decided to take a nap around two, and Elise and I forged on playing house, "baking" pies, "making" popcorn, and reading lots of stories. Three-year-old girls have incredible imaginations...I felt horribly uncreative!

When Genna and Elise headed home Addie and I headed back outside to splish-splash some more...only this time she wanted to be a part of the River Run, and had zero interest in wearing clothes.

Andy's worried about her lifting her dress up....I'm a bit more concerned about her desire to be nude in the back yard.

Church Festivals and Weeding ~ Life in the 'Nati

Yesterday Aunt Nikki came over to hang out with Addison while Andy and I attacked some long overdue weeding.

Addison and Nikki hung out in our new pool, compliments of our lovely neighbors, while Andy and I grunted and pulled and raked and edged. I think after the 4+ hours I did and 2+ hours Andy did of yard work we really started missing our tiny metal porch in Chicago with it's lovely parking lot...both of which required no manual labor from us.

I wish I had remembered to take a before picture of the areas we worked on. I am not exaggerating even a little bit when I tell you that I pulled up dandelion weeds that were at least a foot taller than me. I think the neighborhood was getting ready to vote us out because of our poorly manicured yard. I guess that's what happens when you buy a house that hasn't been occupied in a year. We have dubbed yesterday's work as Act I Scene I...and we're pretty sure this is a multiple part play. Oi vey.

To put in perspective how much weeding was done (or how pathetically out of shape I am) my hamstrings ache today.

While we're talking about the neighborhood, we all went to "our" parish festival Friday night. I put our in quotations, as we have yet to step foot into the actual church since moving here. Yes, we did attend a Christmas Eve mass there once or twice years ago, but by no means are parishioners. We intend to become good Catholics at some point...some point before we have to enroll Addie in their school.

Anyway, church festivals are quite the thing here in Cincinnati. All I know for sure is that they serve lots of fried food and cold beer and somehow are able to host gambling. There are the typical split-the-pots, but there is also black jack, poker and a few games that I've never heard of. One of the games is Bells and Bars, where you buy a 50 cent ticket and then pull the tabs looking for matches, kind of like a scratch off ticket. We bought quite a bit of them (when I say we, I mean Patty and Andy... they might have a problem with gambling that I didn't know about before). Bob, Patty and Andy kept winning a dollar here and 50 cents there and I kept be the big loser, that is until right before we left, when I won $35! I was pretty excited and more than happy to buy the family SnoBug for dessert.

Addison enjoyed the noise, her pulled pork sandwich and learning how to gamble...see the church is guiding her already!

Bye Bye Bottle

No, I'm not breaking up with wine.
Instead, Addison has taken yet another step toward becoming a big girl ~ No more bottle!

The first day or so without it was painful, I think more so for Andy and I than her. A little more patience is necessary with her big girl cups.
She uses her sippy and straw cups, and is going through quite the impressive amount of whole milk. She has adjusted well to her new big girl cups, although at times she misses being able to lay down and guzzle down her bottle. So far we've discovered that laying down with a straw cup is quite messy!
Another clue that she is on the road to being a big girl ~ earlier this week she had mustard dill chicken for dinner with basil garlic mushrooms one night and grilled chicken with ginger sugar snap peas another night. Such a big girl....almost.

Mother's Day in July

My last installment of Mother's Day gifts arrived this week.

I now have four lovely bottles of red wine waiting to be sipped. (They were going to be poured into the magic decanter next weekend with our guests from Chicago, but Roberto has decided that he does not love us anymore. Guess I'll have to drink the wine all by myself. Okay, maybe Andy can have some too.)

I also got my final flower-of-the-month shipment...These make me think of my honeymoon and wonder why I can't be in Hawaii right now.

New Discovery

I forgot to let you know that on Tuesday I had the distinct honor of taking Addison to her 1 year check up. (I still can't believe that a year has passed.)
I say it was a distinct honor, because not only did I want to curl up into a ball and die due to my tiny little bronchitis infection, but Addie also got 4 shots. Four? Really? Is that necessary?
What a treat.


I love our pediatrician in Cincinnati. She is kind, she is gentle, she thinks my baby is adorable, and she is remarkably on time for her appointments. Our doctor in Chicago routinely had us waiting an hour plus ~ that is not cool ever, but it is super not cool when you have an infant with you.
Anyway, our new doc is great and Addison was super amused by all her noises. Doc said that my babe is doing wonderfully, developmentally she is right on target. Her latest stats are:
Height: 31.75 inches off the charts! Guesstimated at the 98th percentile
Weight: 22.2 pounds looking good 68th percentile


But forget all that crap, she now has learned a new trick. Forget asking her how big she is. Forget having her show you patty cake. Where are her piggy toes? Who Cares?? Dancing? Old news.


Addison officially knows where . . . her . . . BELLY BUTTON is!! She first found it in Carolina, but now she can show it you on command. Awesome. Now she'll pull her dress up over her head and show you her belly ~ Her Dad's not too thrilled about that aspect. I assured him that for now it's cute ~ In high school we can start worrying.

Finding her belly button in North Carolina
Finding her belly button today

**Also be forewarned, if you are laying on the ground Addie will crawl over to you and lift up your shirt and look for your belly button too. So far she's found mine, Andy's and Renata's :)

Carolina ~ The End

I was going to try to upload a video of Addison heading into the ocean, but in all honesty I am not that good of a videographer and the videos I took were kind of poor.



Addison liked putting her toes in the surf and didn't mind sitting on the shore with her mommy and daddy playing in the wet sand. She didn't even seem to really mind the dry sand. She didn't try to eat it like Rylan did(yum), but she did smear it across her face.


The big foray into the Atlantic was, overall, a success. Addie didn't mind the waves coming at her or being dipped in the water as long as her Daddy did not let go of her. When Andy would try to swish her out into the water she let him know in no uncertain terms that she did not appreciate that (translation: shrieking and threatening to cry). As long as her Daddy's arms were wrapped around her and she could maintain a death grip on his neck, the ocean was a-okay by her.
So she liked the ocean....but she LOVED the wading pool (thanks Elise and Genna!) which is where she spent most of her afternoons splashing and playing.

So while there is no quality ocean video, here is a glimpse at her love of the pool and a peak into the summer fling aforementioned between Addie and Tool:

North Carolina Part III ~ Citrus is GOOD

When we first moved to Cincinnati Andy and I discovered that Addison has a deep affection for lemons. She loves sucking on them, chewing on their rinds, gnawing them down just to the white membranes. She spots a lemon in your water or iced tea and points and whines until you give it to her. We both find it kind of amusing, my mother-in-law finds it appalling and my mom is concerned about the enamel of Addie's teeth.


In Carolina we discovered her love of citrus is not limited just to lemons. Nope, she love limes and oranges just as well. While we dined at Provisions she chomped away at many a lemon (and a dill pickle spear or two as well).

On the sunset boat ride we found out how much she loved limes. We had a bunch in the cooler for our Coronas and Margaritas, but instead they went to keeping my baby happy. Even funnier, she would hold a pretzel rod in one hand and the lime in the other, then she would lick the salt off the pretzel and suck on the lime...is that the sign of a future problem? Nonetheless, it was pretty entertaining to watch.

Then in the final stretch of the endless drive back to Cincinnati Andy found that the only thing that would keep Addison from clawing her way out of her car seat was an endless supply of orange wedges. She finished an entire orange, while also covering her feet, ears, hair, nose and entire car seat in sticky orange pulp. The mess didn't bother half as much as the hours of screaming that we endured before discovering the magic of oranges.

North Carolina Part II ~ Boys of Summer

Addison was quite active wooing the boys last week.

She splish-splashed with Evan. She also bossed him around, as she always does, and inspired him to climb up on more and more furniture (you are welcome, Renata).

She met Oliver, who Christie swears will be her beach boyfriend. Oliver is the adorable son of Christie's Dayton pal Critty. They vacation on Oak Island the same week each year that we do, so they came down for a quick visit. Oliver is walking, and babbling, and to his parents' dismay, biting. But he's so cute it's pretty easy to forgive a nibble or two.

But the big romance was with Tool.

Dear lord, the crush they shared was so obvious. Michelle didn't seem to mind that Addie was having a summer fling with her husband...I think she may have enjoyed having a little break from him. Tool and Addison giggled, played in the pool, high-fived, and did a lot of zerberts (over, and over, and over again).

She seems a little sad that her boyfriend went back to Chicago with his wife, but she is definitely enjoying her rediscovered love of zerberts. Gee, thanks Toolio.

While she loved all those boys, her main man stayed, as always, her Daddy.

North Carolina ~ Part I

Addison loved the beach...the car rides there and back, not so much.

Andy and I got so desperate for her to stop shrieking on our way down to Oak Island (somewhere around hour six in the car) that we dug a pacifier out of the diaper bag. Yes, I still had one in the diaper bag as my own peace of mind, even though she hadn't had a pacifier since April. Yes, I am an enabler.

When she first got her hands on it, she caressed it gently, went completely silent, smiled and her eyes twinkled and danced (I swear, they danced).

Andy said she looked just like me when I decided to have a cigarette for the first time after quitting for three years. Sad analogy, and sadly true.

Anyway, she popped it in her mouth for about a minute....I think she has forgotten how to use a pacifier, and soon it was on the Tucson's floor with all the other toys she had tossed in utter, exasperated disgust. After a few more minutes of shrieking and crying she drifted off to sleep and so did I. When we woke up Andy was pulling off the highway to check into a hotel ~ In Chapel Hill 3 1/2 hours from Oak Island.

We were on the beach Saturday by 12 p.m....and the shrieking was soon forgotten.

North Carolina

The trunk is packed. The toys are in the back seat. Multiple cans of SPF have been purchased.
North Carolina here we come.....

No Wi-Fi there, pals...we'll update you on our adventures in a little over a week :)

Two things....

1. While we were in Chicago I got a text from Kimmie asking if Michelob was an anorexic cat. Apparently she hadn't eaten all weekend. That mystery was solved when I got home late Monday night to find my super intelligent cat had gotten herself locked in an upstairs bedroom. For the entire four days we were gone. Whoops.
Tonight when I got home from dinner at the Neyer's I realized I hadn't seen my precious cat since this morning. After scouring the house she was still missing. Then a faint meow...turns out somehow she got outside and was prowling the backyard, and probably had been since about noon. Seriously, I have become a horrible cat owner.

2. Today marks the four year anniversary of most you drinking tons of liquor out of my classy wedding center pieces. They were so pretty with their floating candles and flowers....but so yummy with the 7 types of liquor blended so nicely. Ahh, four years of wedded bliss.

No, seriously, total bliss.

Cake Coma

While we were celebrating birthdays in Glenview on Saturday everyone was rather impressed with the impeccable table manners of my daughter. While my darling nephew Emmett attacked his cake as though he had not seen food in seven months, Addie simply touched and prodded and licked. She did get in on her face a bit, but over all she was quite dainty.

Those table manners were quite disappointing to my stepmother, Kathy. She was ready for cake chaos. She had the wading pool set up and a bathing suit waiting for Addison for the big cake clean up. Kathy wanted cake from head to toe and everywhere in between. Sadly, Addison did not perform. Silly girl and her silly manners.

She did, however, decided to make up for her lack luster performance on Sunday last night while we celebrated her birthday with the Neyer clan.

She opened presents (toys and clothes and dolls, a one-year-old's dream) and then was given her birthday cake.

The cake was far from the masterpiece I had fantasied about in my head. In my world of me being an awesome stay-at-home-mom, a birthday cake resembling a giraffe was going to be created. In reality, when I made the cake I almost forgot the eggs, and then once the cake cooled I tried to transfer it to a cookie sheet and it broke into about 5 pieces. I jigsawed it back together, frosted and decorated it, but it was far cry from my lofty cake dreams.

In any case, Addison seemed to enjoy having another cake. Instead of blowing the candle out, she tried to grab it (luckily my mighty breath extinguished it first) and instead of licking, prodding and touching she DUG IN. Mmmmm...we don't have video, but the pics say it all.

Bathtime was a must and I am pretty sure there were sprinkles floating in her tub water. But I'll tell you this, even after her bath last night, this morning she smelled awfully sweet; almost good enough to eat.

Somebody is ONE

Since we were in Chicago for the weekend we decided to head out to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's on Sunday to celebrate Addison and Emmett's first birthdays. Emmett and Addison each got their own cake to devour. Addison was daintily putting it her mouth, Emmett was covered head to toe in blue frosting. Both babes were spoiled by their families and neighbors, and both were, without a doubt, EXHAUSTED by the end of the day.

It is almost unfathomable to me that this time last year I was laying in a hospital room trying to figure out how to work a new person, wondering where the hell the instruction manual was.

I cannot even pretend to know how to put into words how much my life has changed in the past year. I think I can speak for Andy as well when I say:

I never knew that one tiny little person could bring so much happiness.

I had no idea that I could talk at length about someone else's bowel movements, and not just to be gross or funny.

I never knew that without any words someone would be able to tell me, daily, exactly what they wanted or needed.

I didn't know that such little things could bring me so much joy: first smiles, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, first words.

I never thought that a big night out would end by 10 p.m.

I could go on and on about how wonderful it is to have Addison in our world. Her tiny toes, her ticklish tummy, her silly little laugh, the way she snuggles into my neck when she's tired or just waking up. Her goofy smile, her endless curiosity, the way she claps when she realizes we're going outside to play, her green bean face...really this could be paragraphs long.

Instead I'll say this: Our lives are bigger, better, more vibrant and so enriched with her, it's almost impossible to remember that at one point in time she wasn't part of our everyday.

Happy First Birthday my darling, hysterical, sweet daughter....Look how you've grown!

Addison July 2007

Addison July 2008

Friendship and Love

We have returned from our whirlwind weekend in Chicago celebrating the best things in life: love, friendship and adorable babies. Roberto and Keelin got hitched on Saturday, and on Sunday Addie turned ONE (much more on that later).

We arrived in Chicago Friday afternoon about the same time as Steve and Tamar, allowing all of us a minute or two to visit and enjoy each other before the festivities began. We were joined shortly thereafter by Brad and Jess, Gramma Kathy and, best of all, the reason for our visit: Mr. and Mrs. To Be, Roberto and Keelin.

A few hours later, Addie was out for a walk with Gramma and Andy and I were at the wedding rehearsal. After sharing a wonderful dinner at Salvatore's (mmmm, ricotta spinach pasta. mmmm, open bar), we headed back to the Hyatt for a night cap or two.

Saturday was busy with hair, makeup, bagels, kitkats, pretty dresses and then the main event: Keelin and Berto's wedding. I have had the honor of being in several weddings, and never before have I been with such a calm, relaxed, overjoyed bride. Keelin loved the hair, the fussing, the bagels, the gorgeous dress, but all she really wanted was to get down that aisle and hold Berto's hand...

As has been well documented in other shared pictures and blogs Saturday was nothing short of phenomenal. Addison enjoyed how her voice echoed in the church, how floofy and prissy her dress was and loved all the attention her Chicago friends lavished on her.

Andy and I had an amazing time...being back among our closest friends, telling stories, laughing - a lot.

And on a sappy, girly note ~ Watching two people you love fall in love with each other is so incredible. I was pretty much non-stop boo hooing most of the day Saturday. Purely happy tears...for heaven's sake I am welling up now. What has happened to me? I used to be so darn tough.

I did a horrible job taking pictures...I left that up to the pros and the rest of the paparazzi. But what a great excuse to come back to the Windy City...and how hard it was to leave yesterday.

Berto & Keelin

Dear Aunt Keelin and Uncle Berto,

Look, this is us together almost a year ago....now I'm a big a girl and you are getting married! Wow, time sure does fly!I am so excited to come see you get married this weekend. I look at your picture all the time in my "Chicago Friends" photo album. I haven't seen you in such a long time and I miss you tons. I know you will be very busy this weekend, but I wanted to let you know how much I love you guys and how much Mommy and Daddy love you.
I hope that your wedding is full of laughter, family and friendship...You are the most wonderful people, and I am so excited to see what the future has in store for you....May everyday together be an adventure!

I love you guys!

xoxo,
Addie

An Unamused Mommy

Have I mentioned that Addison, the never ending eater, has decided that while eating food is fun, she would much rather play with it? By play with it I mean smear it across her high chair tray. I mean stick it in her ears and nose; rub it in her hair; smash it between her fingers.

She also finds it particularly entertaining to throw it.

She likes to pick up (insert any food here) and drop it off the side of her tray. Or wing it as far as she can. Today the floor has seen oranges and prunes. Yesterday it got a taste of cheerios and goldfish crackers. Oh yeah, it also got a whole bunch of scrambled eggs.

Did I also mention that while I was scraping those eggs off the floor I felt something hit me in the back of the head? Yeah, my daughter egged me.

To say the very least my patience is just about gone...and my floor is constantly dirty.

Manicures aren't relaxing

This morning Addison woke up in her usual fashion...smiling and giggling. Only instead of finding just her stuffed animals on her floor, she also found her mommy. I swear ever since having Addie my internal temperature has been majorly skewed. I tossed and turned for about two hours last night and then finally decided to go find a cooler place to sleep. Normally that means that I grab my pillow and a sheet from the linen closet and head to the couch. This time, however, I was completely distracted in my exhausted state and noticed the fan that we keep in Addie's doorway. She sleeps with her door open and a fan blowing AC from the hall because her room is usually a good 15 degrees warmer than the rest of the upstairs. So I see the fan, I stumble down to her room, point the fan directly at me and pass out in her doorway.
Shockingly it was a wonderful night of sleep.

So Addison woke up happy to see her mommy and our morning started off wonderfully...that is until I decided to cut her nails. When Addison was a baby cutting her nails was no problem. She didn't cry, she didn't squirm. She really didn't seem to mind at all.
Well, all of that has drastically changed. As soon as I attempt to trim her nails she FREAKS OUT. She wails, and cries, and squirms, and goes stiff, and hits, and shrieks. I think you get the point. She was so out of control this morning that I wouldn't surprised if my neighbors considered calling protective services, seriously, her decibel level was that impressive. I mean she FREAKED out...but, her nails are cut and she won't be able to scratch herself (like she often does) or me (like she often does) and she'll look pretty for her big Chicago weekend.
In the midst of her tantrum, she slammed her body backwards and arched herself across my lap, which gave me the perfect vantage point to she her latest addition : Tooth number five has arrived.