Awesome Giveaway!

If your hobby includes taking insane amounts of pictures of your little ones like me, there's a great giveaway going on that you won't want to miss! Go over and check out Erin Leigh Studio Blog for details! http://www.erinleighstudioblog.com

It's my semi-annual post

2010 has been a fun year for us so far and I don't anticipate that changing at the rate we're going! Addison has made being a mommy such an awesome experience. I'm just trying to soak it all in while I can. Where to begin?

Easter was a blast this year because Addy was old enough to enjoy searching for Easter eggs. As a matter of fact, she was so into it that we hid the eggs about a dozen times over Easter weekend and still to this day hide them for something fun for her to do outside. She's utilized her great gathering skills at both grandparents' houses picking up sticks around their yards. My mom says it's not child labor if they think they're playing a game! (c:

We've tackled one of the things that I was dreading the most...potty training! I'm happy to report that it really wasn't a big deal for us like I'd anticipated. She caught on pretty fast and has been pull-up free with the exception of when she's asleep since about a month before she was 2 1/2. What are the other things that I'm dreading the most you ask? Well, she's still sucking her thumb when she gets sleepy or is super relaxed and then there are her "G's". The "G's" are her two giraffes that she's been attached to at the hip. I have a feeling breaking her of those two things are going to be pretty rough because they're her ways of soothing herself. We shall see...

Addy also started a once-a-week gymnastics class with her friend, Marlee. She LOVES going and knows where we're headed as soon as I pull her leotard out of her closet. I think she enjoys talking Marlee's ear off in the car on the way to and from the class as much or more than the actual gymnastics class though...she's definitely a talker! I'm sure I'll be getting many letters sent home in the future from her teachers for her excessive talking.

Mommy and Daddy spent about 14 hours putting a swing set together so Addy could just step out our back door to play. I hate to say it, but we definitely haven't used it as much as I thought we would. The weather has either been too hot, too rainy, or our schedules have been crazy busy. We'll get out and spend more time out there once the weather isn't so smoldering hot/humid...we're expecting a heat index of 110 degrees tomorrow!!! YUCK.

Addy's been keeping cool by playing with her water table and swimming. She's also now a total popsicle fanatic! Her favorite kind are the bomb pops, but she's also satisfied with the little Flavor Pops that are super cheap and make less of a mess.

She's had several firsts in 2010...she saw her first movie in the theater (How To Train Your Dragon), had her first slumber party at our house with her cousin, and rode her first roller coaster. We took a trip to this indoor place called Zonkers that had a few carnival-type rides. I rode the mini-roller coaster with her and thought I was in for it when she let out a scream, but when I glanced over at her face she wasn't sporting a terrified face. She was sporting the BIGGEST smile and would laugh in between her screams. When the ride stopped she was telling them to do it again. So...we rode it again and again and again! About a month after discovering that she likes rides, we took a trip to World's of Fun with some friends of ours and their two kids. Addy wasn't disappointed with the caliber of their rides. She kept pointing to the big roller coasters begging to ride them, but we told her she has to grow taller before she can ride the big ones. Of course when we go to give her her daily vitamin, she has to tell us that she's taking it so she can ride roller coasters...LOL!!! We even took our first trip to Paradise Park with Beth and Bennett. They had several different activity areas for the kids. She enjoyed the water table room and pizza place room the best.

She's also been bitten by the "I need that" bug. Someone just asked me a couple of months ago if Addy wants every toy she sees a commercial for and was surprised when I told them no. Well, I should've been knocking on some wood because even though it's not every toy she sees a commercial for, it's turned into an obsession for one particular commercial. You're probably thinking it must be something really awesome, huh? Sorry to disappoint you, but it's for a pillow. Not just ANY pillow though. It's a Pillow Pet. A panda Pillow Pet to be exact. The kid has memorized the commercial and goes bonkers as soon as she hears the first note of it's little commercial jingle. She's never been one to go up and touch the television until this commercial came into her world. Now she tries to grab the panda Pillow Pet every time it flashes across the screen.

The most recent news we have to announce is that on Sunday, 7/11/10 we welcomed a new member to our family...meet Milo! Addison's in love with this little guy-we all are! It's cute that he's who she calls for now when she first wakes up and she told him that he's the best ever today when she was loving on him. Mommy and Daddy used to be the best ever, but now that Milo's here we're just chopped liver. I have to admit that it melted my heart!

I spared you a lot of little stuff because there's just too much to talk about since I haven't updated it since December. Wow...I'm pathetic at this blogging...always have been and probably always will be. Just hang in there and check back every few months!

We Could Use Your Vote: Pepsi Refresh Everything Grant

Please check out my employer's application for the Pepsi Refresh Everything grant for $250,000. It just takes a minute to give your email (don't worry, they won't be sending you emails) and create a password to cast your vote. It would be greatly appreciated if you could vote for our application once a day for the entire month of March!!! Out of 1,093 applications, we are currently ranked #55 and only the top 2 applications will receive the grants. Thanks!

Maybe This Blog Should Be Called Catching Up With Addison

    I've been horrible at keeping you up with Addison so this one's going to be a doozy.  We've had Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Addy's 2nd Birthday party since my last post as well as many little outings to do fun stuff.  I definitely didn't capture pictures of everything as I wish I would've, but there's more than enough of the things I did take pictures of.  

   We recently went see Addy's pediatrician for her 2-year well baby visit and all is well with our Sugie Boogie.  She once again did awesome with whole process...even her flu shots!  She actually told the nurse "thank you" after she jabbed two needles into her leg!!!  Addison's weight was at 27 lbs 5 oz. and she measured at 34 1/2" tall...both were in the 50th-75th percentile for her age.  She estimated that Addy is at the developmental level of a child who is 3 years and 1 month old based off of a little worksheet they give you while you wait for the doctor to come in.  She seems to keep thriving and Nick and I are amazed by how quickly she picks up on things.  Her speech is out of this world and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom.  Months ago, my mom and I sat down and made a list of what words she was saying on a regular basis and we made it to 360.  Since then she's added many more words, but is talking in full sentences quite a bit.  She even knows a couple of Chinese words thanks to Ni-Hao, Kai Lan!  She doesn't just say them, but you can ask her what is "ting" in Chinese and she'll tell you it means "listen" and then you can flip-flop the question with her as well.  She was trying to push my mom into the kitchen the other day and my mom asked her what she was doing and she told my mom "I'm pushing you...tway" (pushing in Chinese is pronounced "tway").  This age is so much fun!!!  Watching her little wheels just constantly turning while absorbing everything around her is awesome!!!

   Enough with my gushing on how wonderful we think our Addison is!  Enjoy all of these pictures from the past couple of months.  Thanks for checking back with us after we abandoned our blog for so long! 

The weather on Addy's 2nd birthday was much like it was the day she was born!

Yes, Addison is wearing a bicycle helmet, one elbow pad, pjs, and snow boots while saying "CHEESE!"

Aunt Marla got Addy a kitchen for her birthday so here she is cooking us some soup with her new kitchen.

This little birthday pirate partied a little too hard and is exhausted from all of the excitement!

I'm sure she was probably telling someone "THANK YOU" here...she was very grateful for everything!

Cousin Ashley and Karsyn got Addy this awesome Paul Frank helmet w/ elbow pads-she loves wearing it around the house as you can see in a previous picture!

Our little birthday pirate helped her Dada swab the deck after the party was over.

Dada did a great job on her pirate party sign, don't ya think?

Her Bam-Maw did a great job on her pirate birthday cakes too, huh?  The little pirates and parrot were made by hand out of gum paste-AWESOME JOB, BAM-MAW!!!

Bam-Maw even made Addy a birthday pirate outfit!

Addy and her pals, Marlee and Abram, riding in the wagon at the KC Zoo

We learned that Addy loves merry-go-rounds a little too much to have that be the first stop at the zoo because she did not want to do anything else!

Halloween night and Addy was pretending to drink pumpkin juice from her little pumpkin's stem-yummy!

YEE-HAW!!!!

Addy and the wooly worm she toted around for hours at her Bam-Maw and Grampy's one day.  She's such a tomboy!

Picking out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch for the first time!

Addy and I on the train at the pumpkin patch.  She enjoyed waving at everyone we passed.

Addison was a KU Jayhawks cheerleader for Halloween (funny video to follow).

Climbing a tree at Bam-Maw and Grampy's

Dancing with her mini scarecrow in the driveway

She L-O-V-E-S picking flowers

The following pictures were taken by my BFF, Beth, the end of October...thanks again, Beth!!!