HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMA!!

Happy Birthday Gramma! I can't wait to see you in Chicago. Mommy and Daddy are packing my stroller so that we can walk along the river...maybe we can share a burger from Billy Goat Tavern?

I can't wait to show you where my piggy toes are and how big I am. I know I am super great at putting my thoughts down in the blog, but sometimes when we talk on the phone I can't tell you everything I want to. But I hope you can at least see how happy your phone calls make me...

I hope you have a fabulous, wonderful, joyous Birthday...I can't wait to see you in 4 days and give you presents and tons of kisses.

(Oh yeah, Mommy and Daddy say Happy Birthday too....and they can't wait to see you either!)

Goulash is good

As we are approaching Addison's 1st birthday (yep, you read that right, she'll be ONE a week from today) I am trying to get her more adjusted to finger food and less reliant on her bottle and the purees I take such pride in making. By a year old she is supposed to be "eating what we're eating" and goes cold turkey off soy formula and on to whole milk. I feel like that's a lot for a one year old to handle, but she's pretty tough.

Already she munches on peas, rice, cheerios, real small pieces of chicken, bananas, and goldfish crackers. She seems to really enjoy feeding herself, but it takes twice the time as when I feed her, and it is at four times as messy.

Today at Aunt Sue's pool party, after a dip in cool blue water, I introduced Addie to GG's goulash. GG's goulash is a staple at all family gatherings and is addictively delicious. It is spiral noodles, some kind of super yummy meat sauce and melted cheese...so good.

Addison inhaled it.

It was all mushed into her hands. It was smeared across her face. We found some behind her ear and in her hair. She got it on her shirt, her skirt and, of course, my shirt. Obviously this full body eating extravaganza shows how much she likes her GG's goulash. But I think the point was driven home when Andy took the plate to throw it away while there were few pieces of goulash still on it and she screamed and flailed her arms until he gave it back.

And then she smiled and dug in for another mouthful.

Dominance

I mentioned awhile ago that Addison and Michelob are working on their relationship.
Michelob is doing a great job of letting Addie poke at her, pull her ears, paws and tail. She doesn't seem to mind being woken up from her sunbeam nap by an over excited baby. However, two nights ago Addison locked in on Mich snoozing by the fireplace. She gave Andy and I one of her devilish little looks and then turbo crawled over the cat. She then proceeded to back herself up and sit on Mich's head. We thought that was hysterical....but I thought it was even funnier when the next night she did the exact same thing to Andy.

Okay, so blogger.com finally published my video of Addie scarfing down a banana....it posted before the "Splish Splash" entry. I am not savvy enough to figure out how to post it for today.

Here's the first dip in the pool....Gramma thinks the earlier picture shows a baby not having fun, but I can guarantee you, she had a BLAST! Perhaps the whole experience was just a bit perplexing for her....she is awfully little and that pool is awfully big!

Splish Splash

I've been trying all day to upload some videos, but blogger.com is not cooperating...stupid technology.

Quick update of the day...Two big things happened:

1. I got into a bathing suit and did not dehydrate myself crying. The Aunts did not run away screaming covering their eyes. I did, however, avoid full length mirrors at all costs. Oh boy, the beach is going to be painful. Then again, I did push a huge baby out less than a year ago and even before then I was no beach bathing hottie.


2. Addison made it into a swimming pool and her heart did not explode...although I am pretty sure she thought it might.

We went with Aunt Nikki, Aunt Kimmie and Rylan to Andy's Aunt Sue's house to enjoy her pool on the first 90 degree plus day we've had in a while.

I put on Addie's swim diaper. She cried. I put on Addie's bathing suit. She cried harder. I picked her up, she calmed down. I put on Addie's sunhat. She glowered at me. But the real dramatics didn't occur until I put her piggy toes in the pool. Blood curdling, terrified screaming followed by uncontrollable crying.

We decided to sit at the edge of the pool for a bit. Addie slowly sneaked her toes in. I tried swishing her up to her belly twice, she freaked both times. Finally I made the executive decision that Addison was going to be a brave little girl. We walked right into the pool and I plunked her into her new inner tube, as she screamed and cried...for a second and then she realized how AWESOME it is to float in a cool pool on a hot day.

I think she takes after her Daddy...a real water baby. Unfortunately, I also think the has my incredibly burnable skin. I had to reapply her SPF50 while still in the pool as she splashed and giggled.

A special bonus...an hour at the pool equals an exhausted baby who takes a quality afternoon nap. Ahhhh, quietness.

Breakfast

I didn't realize that I had captured Addison and Grandpa sharing breakfast on video.


Doesn't she just make you want to eat healthier? Mmmm, so good!

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

A few weeks ago I bought the book Daddy's Girl by Garrison Keillor. It's cute and rhythmic and every once and a while Addison will sit still through the whole book. One of the stories in the book celebrates a baby's love of bananas and talks about all the foods that a baby will try, but says that bananas are always number one. Beftter than french fries or shepherd's pie? I think not, but I digress.

When I first started feeding bananas to Addie she wasn't quite sure about them. She spit out several spoonfuls of mushed bananas and gave me a look as if to say "What kind of fool do you take me for?". Nowadays, however, they are a staple and a celebrated favorite.

Before Addison came along I used to buy bananas because I felt like it was the healthy thing to do (kind of like how I buy milk consistently but drink it rarely). Usually the bananas I bought would rot and be thrown in the freezer for the distant day when I actually got around to making banana bread. Now I buy a bunch and they are always gone by the end of week. They get mixed with yogurt, with sweet potatoes, with avocados, with anything little missy might be weary of trying.

While my Dad was visiting two weeks ago he and Addison shared a banana each morning. By shared, I mean she would beg for his breakfast and he would give in and let her take sloppy little bites of his banana. I am pretty sure she ate an entire banana one of the mornings he was here.

This morning I was having my coffee and english muffin and had half a banana on my plate. My intention was too share with her, her intention was to devour the entire thing. She won. Addie sat on my lap and leaned in for bite after bite of the banana, eventually she got impatient at the process and grabbed the fruit right out of its peal and finished her early morning snack with out the hindering assistance of her mom.

By the end there was smushed banana on both hands, all over her face and smidgen in her hair...but she was super satisfied, and perhaps a bit proud.

Such a big girl feeding herself.