Addison 6 Month Photos

I love the age she is right now. Personality is coming through so strong. I love it. I think she is so fun and she loves to smile, which makes me happy. 

Sometimes I look at pictures of these two and think they look alike. Or Addison gives me a look and I think that was totally a Mason look. But then I look at some and don't see them AT ALL. This picture below...I think they look alike. 

Back to DC

Here is a photo dump. It is crazy the amount pictures I took. Considering I worked all day and had limited time actually sightseeing, it is really amazing how many I took. I really wish we had been here two weeks later. The trees were not really changing...just a few here and there. I have been in DC during the Peak time and it is absolutely gorgeous. 

I love this shot. If only the capitol wasn't having work done on it.

Sleeping baby. Walking around can be so exhausting to a baby.

Mom and I at the Lincoln Memorial facing the Washington Monument.

Addison got to see Thomas Jefferson. This guy was a fairly long walk from our hotel. 

We found this guy. He was Santa in disguise. He even gave us a card with him and Mrs. Clause telling Mason he is being good and should keep up the good work. I showed him the card on FaceTime that night and as soon as I walked in the door at home he hugged me and asked for his Santa Card. That kid. I love him, doesn't forget ANYTHING.

Addison 6 Months

Addison hit the halfway mark while we were in DC. I didn't bring her sticker, which I should have. Oh well. We went to the doctor this week. My little girl is growing so much.

Weight: Addison weighed in at 16lbs 12.5oz. She is in the 60% on her weight and her head, which was 16.8".

Height: We have a super super long girl. She is 27.5" long. WHOA! 97% Addison and Mason had the same height at this point. I have some long babies. At 6 months I was only 25" long. Girlfriend is going to be tall...maybe taller than her Mama. *insert sad face* Maybe she will be a model...or doctor.

Clothes: Since we have recently hit a growth spurt or something. Addison is wearing 6-12 month dresses. 9 month PJs with a few 6 month ones barely fitting. Addison is in a size 2 diaper, but once we are done with the latest box, we will upgrade to size 3.

Eats: EVERYTHING!! She acts likes she is starving all of the time. We have started purees. She loves all of them. I have a feeling sweet potatoes are not good for her, because she normally pukes them up a lot after she eats them. We are cutting those out for a bit. She eat 5-6 6oz bottles a day.

Sleeps: Most nights Addison goes to bed between 7:00-7:30pm and gets up between 5:30-7:00am to eat. If she wakes at 5:00 or 5:30 she will immediately go back to sleep until 7:00am.

Likes: AddieMo loves Loves her brother. She watches him and laughs and smiles at him constantly. He loves her too. I hope this continues. Her favorite activity is to be talked to. She will coo at whoever is giving her attention. She really loves to be with her Mama and I am eating it up. Guess that's why I took her to DC with me.

Dislikes: She is afraid of strangers holding her or people she hasn't seen in awhile...even a week. She loves to look at other people, but don't hold her that makes her mad.

What's New: Addison is sitting up on her own, but still a little wobbly. If laying down she tries very hard to sit upright. We are on the move. Wrong direction but she is scooting. It is funny because Mason army crawled almost until he walked. I am pretty sure it was closer to 7 or 8 months. But I can tell Addison watches us and her brother and is trying to get to us, but she goes the wrong way. Or maybe that's her plan...get away from us.

Girls Trip To DC

We are baaaaack!! I survived my first long work trip. My Mom and I survived a week in a hotel room is a baby. Addison survived DC. I have tons of pictures. Tons! I am going to break this up into a few posts to help with the pictures. 

Addison did GREAT on the plane. Mason did too when we flew with him, so I wasn't too worried. It was an early morning start and she slept in spurts on the plane and during the connections. We were upgraded all the way to DC and that helped with all the extra stuff we had for her. Several people commented on how good she was and how she didn't even cry. Come on people, this isn't my first rodeo. When we were getting off the plane in DC, Addison let out a whimper because she was asleep and got woken up briefly, the guy next to me goes thank god she waited until now. I really wanted to smack him. How rude. I fly enough, and I never ever get upset with anyone with a child on a plane. It is tough entertaining them and keeping them happy for any amount of time.

We were lucky going to DC we didn't have any delays. Always helpful when traveling with baby. I had to do some work Sunday when we arrived, but it didn't take as long as I thought it would. We packed the baby and dressed warm to head out to walk around and see where we were located. We were just about 2-3 blocks from the National Mall. We walked around for about 2 hours before we headed back so I could work some more. 

Addison spent the whole week super happy and smiley. She met and saw many many people and never stopped smiling. I thought several times to take her into the tradeshow I was working. I was pretty sure she could get us more traffic than I was getting alone. 

My Mom and I found the White House. Our hotel was right next door. 

We found our state at the WWII memorial. 

Honest Abe.

Work trips can be fun too. We did lots and lots of walking and I am exhausted. I think I should nap everyday this week to make up for working all day and sightseeing all night.

Flying with a Baby: Must Haves

Next week, I will be heading to Washington DC with my Mom and AddieMo. It is a long long work trip from Sunday-Friday. I was telling my Mom how I didn't want to be away from the baby that long and how hard I thought it would be for Michael. 2-3 day trips aren't horrible with two kids, but 5+ days can be rough. My Mom said she would love to come with me and we could take AddieMo. I was so excited. I love Washington DC in the Fall and I love that this will be our First (of many) Girl Trips!!

I thought I would take the time to write down all the items to take/pack/carry with you when traveling with a baby. We are taking Mason skiing in January, maybe I will do another about traveling with a toddler. When Mason was a baby we flew with him a few times. It was really easy, but I think it was because we were prepared.

Common items that most people traveling with babies may not know:

1. You can wear, in a carrier, your baby through security. I always take my Ergo. It keeps my hands free and it allows me to keep the baby close. I have never ever been asked to take the baby out to go through the metal detector. Oh yeah that's the other thing...you will walk through the metal detector not the x-ray. They will wipe your hands for whatever they are testing for once you are through. 
2. You can bring breastmilk or water for formula without restrictions on the 3oz rule. With my first, we formula fed when traveling and we carried bottles with water in them. At the time he was drinking 6-7oz, so that's how much water was in them. They will ask you to open each one and will hold a test strip over the bottle, without touching the bottles. Again testing for who knows what. 
3. The airlines will check under the plane your carseat and stroller for no charge. I fly American Airlines and that's what they have done for me. I usually keep the carseat in a bag to protect it and have them check it and I take the stroller with me. Taking the stroller is helpful. It can be a change of scenery for the baby when walking through the airports and it can hold bags and junk when carrying the baby. 

So, what am I taking on this trip. I feel like I am going to pack the house if I am not careful. AddieMo is an easy baby. We need bottles, baby food, diapers, wipes and clothes. Right? We are staying at a Marriott. I have already requested a Fridge. You have to tell them it is for Medical Reasons if the hotel doesn't have them in every room. I have requested a crib for the room. I was going to take the Pack N' Play, which is what we did with Mason, but I had Michael most of the time and he is a good mule of baby equipment. Mom and I...not so great. We are taking a crib sheet for that and blankets...of course her favorites. I am taking a small container of dish soap to wash the bottles and a sanitizing bag to make sure they are extra clean. I am taking a small container of laundry detergent, just in case. I don't want to pack 3 weeks of clothing, so the detergent might come in handy if she decides to spit up on herself like she has this week.

Here is my current list for Hotel:

PJs

Outfits

Crib Sheet

Coat and Sweater 

Diapers

Wipes

Lotion

Bath Soap

Food

Bottles

Sanitize Bags

Blankets

Car Seat and Cover

Dish Detergent

Laundry Detergent

Stroller

Ergo

Toys

Extra Pacis

Bibs

List for the diaper bag/plane:

3 Bottles with water

Baby Food

2 changes of clothes

Burp Cloths

Stroller

Ergo

Toys 

Paci

 

I am sure I am missing something. I still have to figure out what I am taking for myself. I am thankful this isn't my first time traveling with a baby. My Mom is nervous. She keeps calling me asking about taking items. Take this...don't forget that. I have laughed at her a few times, but she is the one going to be spending a lot of time with the baby while I work, so I will just smile and get our bags packed. 

Stitch Fix October 2015

Back during the summer, I was bored during one of my nursing sessions and stumbled across Stitch Fix. It is a clothing subscription service. I thought what the heck I would give it a try. I am now a Mom of two and have NO time to shop for myself and I definitely did not want my style to suffer. So, I tried it. And I liked pretty much everything I got in my first box. I will say there was one shirt I was on the fence about and I would have never bought for myself. One of the best things about Stitch Fix is if you keep everything you get 25% off the entire box. Well, with that in mind and the fact that the cost of the shirt was $38, I realized my 25% off more than cover that shirt, so I kept it. The best part, I have worn that shirt more than any other shirt.

I received my second box on Friday! I was so excited about getting it. Mainly because I love love love fall and sweaters and cute pants and everything FALL. Spoiler Alert...I didn't keep everything this time around.

With each fix, you get ways to style the items along with a note from your stylist. I like this. It is a time saver, plus you see different options. I got the same stylist this time as I did the last time. My initial thoughts, the dress and the black shirt were no's and the sweater I loved, the pants and red/black shirt also loved! But as we all know...initial looks don't tell me how it will fit.

These are my keeps. I ended up loving the black shirt. I loved the way it fit. The only problem I had with it is that I feel like I already have several just like it, but I guess that's the good thing that my stylist knows what I like after a just one box. The sweater was super cozy and very comfy. I see myself wearing it all fall and winter. The red cords are amazing. The fit is great and I can see myself wearing them to lots some Razorback football games as the weather turns cold. 

Now on to the shirt I LOVE when I first saw it. I loved the color and style of the shirt itself. Hated the way it fit. The cut up the side is too high. The slightest raise of the shoulder and my stomach would be exposed. I wouldn't have worried too much about that before kids, but I know that with kids and while playing with them I know this shirt would just get annoying. Oh well. Maybe next time. 

The dress. I don't wear dresses a lot. Rarely. I wear them to weddings and I wear them for work trips, sometimes. I liked the dress. I liked the fit and I thought it looked cute on me. But I couldn't wear it for work with the slit in the front and it was a touch too short on the sides for work. I could wear with leggings to help, but it came down to the fact that wearing it rarely couldn't justify spending the money. But it is a cute dress right!!   

I have really enjoyed trying out the Stitch Fix. The great part is you can sign up for every 2-3 weeks, monthly, every other month, or quarterly. I started quarterly, but just moved it up to get another box before our ski trip in January. If you are interested in trying, I totally recommend it, and if you use the link below to try then I get $25 off my next Stitch Fix and I have a feeling my husband would appreciate that as this is my new obsession.

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/5438494

Sh*t my Toddler says

I haven't done this in awhile.

• The other day, Mason was playing downstairs after his sister went to sleep. He and Daddy were a little loud and woke her up. Michael said he would go fix it and Mason said he would go. Michael tried to tell Mason nah it was okay and that he should stay downstairs with Mommy. Mason's answer NO, She needs her brother. As he ran upstairs he kept saying She needs her Brother. Awe!!!
• If we are driving in the car and Addison starts to cry Mason will immediately start singing Twinkle Twinkle little Star. But sometimes she will start to fuss not cry and I will say Mason will you sing to your sister. His response...She not crying YET. Not yet bud but she is about to...thanks. 
• We are at the prime age where we can say Bye we are leaving you and he will run after us. It is great when trying to get him out of a location without a meltdown. But he always screams DON'T LEAVE ME!! Now if I go somewhere without him and then come back he will say Mama you leave me...why you leave me. Breaks my heart. 
• We were walking the neighborhood and Mason was dressed as Robin (Batman & Robin). We walked by some neighbors walking in the opposite direction and one of the ladies said to Mason ooooo you are scary. Mason did not skip a beat and he said I not scary I Batman. Then he proceeded to explain that Batman and Robin scare off monsters. 
• The same night we were walking, he pointed to the neighbor across the streets house and said look it is a castle. (They have a tower type design in front) He then told me that their daughter, who Mason loves and has a toddler size crush on, was in the tower and needed to be rescued. That imagination. We convinced him he didn't need to go over there, but I told the neighbors I can't promise he won't be standing outside yelling about rescuing Syd. 
• Mason loves to make sad faces. I will ask him what's wrong and he will say I'm sad. My feelings are hurt. Most of the time he is faking to get something he wants. Milking it for all it is worth. 

• One day Mason was running crazy and Addison was on the floor. He came over to her and I thought he was about to fall on her so I push him away. The look on his face was priceless. He said Mommy you pushed me. You need to go to time out. 
• The best moment lately and it totally makes me a bad parent. We have a Halloween mask that Michael likes to wear when handing out candy. It also causes Gabby to become crazy. I was going to show Mason how Gabby reacts, and when I put it on to get Gabby I scared the crap out of Mason. His face was straight horror. I immediately took the mask off but could not stop laughing. He kept saying Mama you scared me. You scared me. I kept saying I am sorry buddy I didn't mean to. Later at bedtime he mentioned it again about how I scared him. I thought of man, this kid is going to have nightmares for weeks, but thankfully he slept great and asked to wear the mask the next morning. 

SuperHeroes Live Here

This little boy is having so much fun playing Batman, Robin, and Superman lately. I don't know how little boys do it. He has never, until last night, seen a single cartoon involving superheroes. He gets quite upset over capes if he is not wearing one. I decided that if he was going to love Batman he needed to watch some Batman. All the most recent Batman shows/movies are NOT 3yr old appropriate. But I started thinking about the old school Batman where POW and BAM were popped up on the screen instead of the hitting. I was sure Netflix or Amazon Instant Video had to have it somewhere. 

Sure enough, I found the 1966 movie, which I believe was based of the show. Or the other way around...right? Adam West as Batman. Thank You. My child will probably expect to watch this movie daily, but I might get the episodes, which we have to pay for on Amazon or Vudu, but the movie is Free on Amazon with Prime. He loved it. Michael and I enjoyed laughing over the language. You know it is kid friendly when Robin says Holy Bikini Batman or any of his other Holy *insert funny phrase* Batman. 

Mason insisted we all dress up as SuperHeroes and run around the house. Thank goodness Nana and Papaw got him the 3 capes package, so we have Batman, Robin, and Superman. But somehow it always comes back to the BEAST (AKA Sandlot) and how we have to get the Beast. He would fall down and say it got me and we Revive him or the other way around. He has the best imagination and it makes me smile. He loves to look back and watch his cape flow in the wind...this will ultimately end in a face to a wall in the future I am sure of it. 

I have a lot of love for this age. 

Hands on the hips...guess he gets this from me. 

Saving the World is Exhausting.

Playing at Nana's house.

Hello October!

Well, well, well...It is October!! Today the weather decided to cool off and it feels like fall. I guess I can start wearing my boots and fall clothes! My favorite. I guess I can get our pool closed for the season. This makes me happy and sad. We haven't been in the pool in awhile, probably not in the last two weeks, so it is time. They will be here next week. I took the below picture as a sign to start decorating for fall. The black birds invaded our yard.

First sign of Fall...Black birds invade. 

October! Time to decorate for Halloween and Fall, even though I must admit I started this last week. It is a slow process in our house. I love decorating for Halloween. The orange...the scary skeletons, the pumpkins, and all things pumpkin...pumpkin bread, cookies, lattes. I love adding to our decorations every year and sometimes taking some away. Mason is a little concerned about a few items in the house, like our skeleton that hangs from the stairs.

Halloween goblets. This room isn't complete, yet. 

I needed to get the other upstairs windows done, but Mason helped me out so we had to show Daddy what we had done. There are now bats upstairs too.

Not sure what else I want to do to decorate. I am thinking about taking Mason to the store and letting him pick out some decorations for outside. I lost some of the outdoor decorations last year and need to replace. Mason needs some Mama alone time too, so it might be a good idea! Any suggestions for outdoor decor is welcome. We will add pumpkins outside after our trip to the pumpkin patch, and I thought about changing our down lights to orange lights. So open to ideas!