I Missed One Already! :-O

Well at 4 am this morning I woke up with a start because I realized I had forgotten to post Friday's, "What I'm Thankful For"!  I guess I was just anxious for my date with my bed. :)  So, here is my day three, "What I'm Thankful For".  Better late than never. ;-)

THREE: Today I'm thankful for kindness.  Given recent events and the constant bombardment of all the bad that is in the world I thought it was important to remember that though there is a lot of bad out there kindness still exists.  The link below highlights photos of random acts of kindness.  With the exception of one that is a bit comical, these photos do a good job of highlighting how kindness wins out over the bad.  It's easy to always focus on the negative but in the darkness remember the random stranger who holds the door open for you when your hands are full, or the young person who helps an elderly lady pump her gas because she isn't sure how to get the pump to work, or the guy who peaks his head in your office with a big smile and a "have a great day!".  True kindness, the kind that needs no thank you or recognition is out there every day.  So, when you're feeling overwhelmed by all the bad remember the kindness, or even better, perform a random act of kindness yourself.  Having faith in the good in the world makes it that much easier to make it through the bad.  Even more important is making sure our children know what true kindness is, and not only that they recognize it but that they give it as well. 

XO

 http://now.msn.com/photos-to-reaffirm-your-faith-in-humanity

TWO

Today I am thankful for Addie hugs.  As much as I whine that I don't even have time to get in the door before Addie is all over me there really is nothing better than her hugs.  When she squeals and grabs my neck and squeezes with all her might it just makes my day.  All is right in the world in that moment; when she is so excited to see me that she can't stop hugging me, or when she pauses to caress my face and sweetly hug my neck and even when she is giving me a drive-by hug because she's on a mission to toss her toys around the house. 

Lately I find myself just thinking about getting a hug from her and I'm grinning from ear to ear. Whether it was the good-bye hug I got before leaving for work or the hello hug I'm about to get when I walk in the door after a workday, it amazes me how the littlest thing can instantly change my entire mood and demeanor.  My Addie hugs remind me to appreciate the little things in life, because those are what really matter.

Until tomorrow, goodnight all. :)

365 Days of Thanks

Hello All!  I've finally returned.  My return was prompted by my ever increasing tendency to see the glass as "half empty" rather than "half full".  I decided this needed to change.  As a result of this decision I have resolved to spend the next year reminding myself of what I have to be thankful for.  So, every day for the next year I will write about it on here.  By doing so it is my hope that it will keep me accountable and therefore not lose sight of my goal, which is to always remember what I do have, no matter what comes along.  Too often we allow ourselves to be brought down by the bad and lose sight of all of the wonderful things we still have.  On that note, here begins my 365 days of Thanks. 

ONE.  Today I am thankful for the sunshine and warmth.  As the days of Winter come to an end they are finally replaced with the gleeful music of the birds, the sprouting buds of Spring flowers, the melting away of the snow and the blissful first days of the shining sun. 
As I drove home from work today with my car windows down, taking in the sweet smell that only those first couple weeks of Spring can produce, and basking in the warmth of the sun I felt renewed. I could feel the blah of Winter melting off and a renewed sense of energy and purpose was returning.  It truly is amazing to watch the transformation that takes place around us as Winter takes it's slumber and Spring begins to wake everything again.  It reminds me that no matter how endless all the blah or bad seems, underneath all of that is the warmth and sunshine.

Goodnight All

XO

I Have Returned!

Good Morning Everyone!  After months of absence I have finally returned.  These past few months have been full of changes.  Between my return to work, events to attend, and Addie's many reached milestones there certainly has not been a dull moment. 

So what exactly have we been up to these past few months?  Well, at the end of May I returned to work.  This was definitely not an easy transition for me.  I will say though, leaving Addie was made a little easier because I was able to leave her with my mother and father-in-law.  I am so grateful that Addie has been lucky enough to spend her days with her Mema and Poppy.  It makes me very happy to see Addie's face light up when she sees the wreath that hangs on my in-laws door.  To make it even better, Matt has been spending the Summer working with his father, so Matt has also been with her all Summer.  Returning to work is probably one of the toughest decisions I have made but I have been truly blessed that I did not have to leave Addie with someone I didn't really know.  We will probably be making the transition to a daycare soon (my in-laws deserve to relax during their retirement ;-) ), which still stresses me out but for the time being she is happily spending her days with two of her favorite people.

Watching all of the joy that Addie has brought,not just to Matt and my life, but to our friends and family has been amazing.  Matt's uncles and aunts, and his cousins have fallen in love with our little girl.  They have all been extremely generous and love coming for visits.  Addie has not disappointed, showering everyone with smiles and giggles.  The two people who have really enjoyed Addie have been Sue and Erwin.  To Addie they are Mema and Poppy.  As soon as she see's them she greets them with a huge smile and babbles.  Mema showers her with hugs, kisses and love.  Poppy wears cool shirts, runs to her when she fusses (because he can't stand to hear Addie upset), and helps her develop her new skills.  Watching Addie and Erwin interact has been amazing because with Addie Erwin becomes a big mush.  Addie has definitely got Erwin wrapped around her fingers and he is loving it. 

Watching Matt's family with Addie makes me excited for Addie to get to spend more time with my family.  It makes me sad that she is unable to spend as much time with my family, or Aly, because they are in Iowa.  But Matt and I do all we can to make sure Addie knows these people as well.  We show her pictures and when we talk on the phone we turn the speaker on so Addie can hear their voices. When my mom and dad ( Nana and Grandpa to Addie) came for a visit in March, my mom got Addie a flower ornament.  This has become Addie's favorite object in her room.  Each morning, after she gets changed, I have to take her over to the ornament so she can play with it.  The way the light makes it sparkle amuses her.  I love watching how excited she gets when she sees it.

Over the past few months we have attended many events, including the event we held, Addie's Baptism.  We were so happy to share this special moment with family and friends.  Matt and I thank God all the time for the blessing he has given us by bringing Addie into our lives and we want Addie to know the same love and blessings.  We had a wonderful day celebrating with family and friends.  We were also lucky enough to share in this same special day with our friends, John and Colleen, when they're little man, Mason was baptized.  We also enjoyed introducing Addie to Erwin's side of the family for Matt's cousin, Liz's wedding.  Addie did so good with the large crowd and made everyone smile at her constant babbling and smiling. 

We were also lucky to have Addie's great grandmother, Hermine join us for a couple of weeks.  While Addie was with Mema and Poppy during the day she also got to hang out with her Grandma Hermine.  Hermine loved seeing her every morning and Addie always greeted her with a big smile, which delighted her. 

Addie has also grown by leaps and bounds in the past few months.  She can sit up and is working on getting up on her hands and knees.  Becoming mobile is her number one priority it seems.  She has Luke, Kit and Reeses to chase after all, much to their annoyance. lol  Addie has also cut her first tooth and with almost no indication, other than some drooling, chewing and the obvious sharp white edge of her tooth.  That was a pleasant surprise, along with the fact that our little angel has slept through the night for the past couple of months.  That is a very welcome development for me. :-)  Addie has us completely spoiled.  Addie has also started on solid foods.  Her favorites right now are bananas and sweet potatoes.  She turns into a sticky mess whenever she has a meal but it is so much fun to watch how excited she gets about each new food. 

Now that I have gone on and on about Addie, I suppose I should talk a little bit about what else has been going on in our lives.  For me, work has been a bit hectic.  The month before I had Addie, our credit union was liquidated and once I returned the process to completely convert over to the new credit union had begun.  That has meant many hectic hours at work.  To add to it I have also been covering a co-workers maternity leave.  Needless to say, I have been quite busy at work.  But, everyone welcomed me back with open arms and the members have been wonderful.  Though it was not easy to return everyone has made it as easy as possible.  Accompanied with my return to work has been my choice to continue exclusively breastfeed Addie.  Pumping at work has been an adjustment but the benefits for Addie far out-weigh the annoyances.  Plus, it provides wonderful bonding time for Addie and I, which I love since I do have to spend so much time away from her now. 

Matt has been keeping busy this Summer working with his dad to help him get their house remodeled.  He has also been helping his friend occassionally.  Matt has even had the opportunity to stay home with Addie a few times.  The first time he got that opportunity was for a week, and Addie was still rather young.  He did great though and he and Addie got some wonderful bonding time.

Well, I think that about catches things up!  Matt and I are going to take Addie to her first Little World's Fair today.  That is a local fair that is put on every year in Matt's  hometown.  Addie will get to see lots of wonderful sites and Matt and I will get to eat some wonderfully bad for you fair food.  It's no Iowa State Fair ;-) but it is an ok substitute.  After the fair visit we are going to Matt's 10 year high school reunion.  It is going to be a busy busy day.  I hope you're all enjoying the last few weekends of the Summer.  Can you believe it's almost time for Fall to arrive?!         

6 Weeks and the Lessons Learned



The day our world changed.



6 weeks just flew by

 It has been six weeks since the arrival of our Addison and I cannot believe it.  The time has just flown by.  It feels like I was just meeting our little girl for the first time.  During these past few weeks we have learned a lot from our Bug.  Below are just a few of the lessons and surprises Addison has given us. 

 
1.  There is no love like the love you feel for your child.  I look at her and my heart melts every time.

2.  You will forget what it feels like to get a full nights sleep.  I hope to reacquaint myself with sleep again one day, hopefully soon.

3.  For mommy, it's important to get dressed every day and to at least put concealer on.  No matter how exhausted I am, I feel better if I can look at myself in the mirror at 2 pm and I have at least gotten dressed and attempted to make myself presentable, like a normal person. 

4.  Another lesson for mommy, put your pre-baby jeans on as soon as possible.  Even if you have to wear a belly band to keep them up.  If you continue to wear pajama pants or sweats it is much too easy to forget about the work you need to do to get back into shape.  You may not be comfortable in those jeans for a while, but with them on at least you know where you are at reaching your pre-baby body goal and you'll feel great when you can finally zip and button them again. (Thanks to my mother-in-law, Sue for that bit of advice.)

5.  It is wonderful to watch your partner turn into a parent and also quite hilarious to listen to all of the ridiculous things that come out of their mouths.

6.  You will catch yourself speaking baby talk, turning any task into a song, and making the most ridiculous faces.  That said, you gladly do it as often as possible just to see that gummy smile.

7.  You WILL lick your finger and wipe your child's face.  You won't even know it's happening until it's too late.

8.  Things that should gross you out; such as being peed on, having spit up run down your neck and chest, or realizing that you have poop on your forehead will not phase you.  You simply change your clothes, wipe away the spit up and poop and move on.

9.  You stop caring that your shelves haven't been dusted in a month, or that the laundry has maybe piled up a little higher than it should because cuddling with your sleeping child is much more important.

10.  As much love and joy that your child brings you; and they will bring you endless amounts, you and your partner must carve out time for just the two of you.  So let someone else take care of your baby (we've found that mema and papa are eager to donate their time) and do something together.  See a movie, have dinner together, or just cuddle; whatever you do make sure you still nourish that relationship.  Your love created this beautiful life, make sure you continue to nurture that love too.

So, those are just a few of the things that we have learned in these past 6 weeks.  It really is amazing what this tiny little human being, who can't even talk, has already taught us. 

She's a natural.  :-)

We had another wonderful visit with John and Colleen.  Addie just loves seeing them.  We can't wait to snuggle their little one.

He's got this. ;-)




All decked out for Easter. 



Sometimes a girls just gotta put her feet up.

We had a wonderful first Easter with Addie.

Spring Has Sprung!

Addie's first St. Patrick's Day.  Little too much partying...lol

March has certainly brought a welcome surprise with the weather we have been having.  It started out a bit rough but quickly changed to sunshine, warmth, and emerging flowers.  It has made the days at home on the mountain much nicer because Addison, Luke, Matt and I can get out of the house and do things.  We have already enjoyed numerous walks, a very welcome thing for multiple reasons; including getting fresh air and my waistline thanks me as well.  lol  I have also enjoyed some time outside gardening, while Addie naps in her stroller.  I'm not a great gardener but I do enjoy watching the flower bulbs emerge and I can't wait until they all start blooming. 

Addison continues to be a great joy.  Matt and I have been blessed with an easy going baby.  She takes after Daddy in that sense, and thank goodness for that...lol  With each passing day I become more familiar with her cues and cries, which makes it much easier to determine what she needs at that moment.  I'm also learning what foods I eat agree and disagree with my bug.  Garlic is definitely one that does not agree with her.  Matt and I were invited to dinner at his co-worker's, Harold, home last Friday and his wife, Doreen made a wonderful meal of shrimp scampi and baked ziti.  Very delicious for me but it equaled a gassy day for Addison on Saturday.  Mommy and Daddy did a lot of rocking, walking, soothing and burping that day. 


Harold and Doreen were absolutely adorable with Addison and she loved all of the snuggles and kisses they showered on her. :)






It is hard to believe that we are coming up on 3 weeks since Addison arrived.  It has been amazing to see how much she is growing and changing already.  Matt and I just look at her in amazement and we cannot stop kissing those cheeks! 

Smitten with our bug.

With all of the cuddle time we have been putting in with Addison we have also been welcoming visitors to meet Addison.  The Tenbus' came up for a visit and were gracious enough to bring dinner.  We had a great time catching up and John and Colleen got some practice time in, as they will be welcoming their little bundle very soon.  We cannot wait to meet Baby Boy Tenbus and Addie can't wait to meet her new friend. :)

Uncle John is a natural.

I also took Addison down to Tri-Valley to meet some of the people there.  Addison did great on our little mini-trip down the hill and slept right through all of the fawning over her.  It was nice that she was able to meet some of Matt's co-workers.  Yesterday Addie and I went over to Mema's for lunch and she met Sue Smith and Nancy.  It gave the three of them an opportunity to catch up and of course, they loved seeing Addison.  She even opened her eyes momentarily, but quickly went back to sleep when the ladies got all excited...lol

That is one comfy baby. :-)

Ahhh, snuggles.  :)

Haha, the girl likes the "touchdown" pose.

As you can see from the pictures, all three were quite content giving Addie all the snuggles she wanted and she took full advantage.

On Friday, Matt and I took Addie for her first full day out.  All and all it was a successful trip.  Mommy and Daddy (or Big Daddy and Little Momma as Matt has affectionately named us) learned a valuable lesson in baby time and that we will now need to adjust accordingly.  It would not have been a trip out with Addison if we did not visit the children's section of Barnes and Noble.  I could have spent the rest of the afternoon in there and easily have bought the whole section but Matt limited me to one book, this trip.  Miss Addison will have quite a book collection by the time I'm done. 

This Friday my parent's begin the journey to New York to meet Addie and I cannot wait.  Matt and I have a hard enough time being so far away from my family, especially our niece and nephew.  I know that my mom is chomping at the bit to meet her new granddaughter.  They will be here a week and I'm certain that I will only get to hold Addie when she needs to be fed...lol  I cannot wait. 

Sunday night I got the pleasure of talking to our nephew, Hunter on the phone.  He had spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's and even helped Grandma make the meatballs for dinner.  Of course he had to have his marshmallows before dinner.  Though I know he was probably just repeating what I said, it was so special to hear him say that he loved me and missed me.  He even asked Grandma if they could come to my house.  That was enough to make me tear up.  I have adjusted to life in New York but it has been hard being so far away from them.  I can't wait until we head to Iowa again so I can give him and his sister a big hug and kiss.  Hopefully they will be able to make the trek out to New York to see us soon.  :)  And our family will be growing even more once May arrives and brings the arrival of my baby brother's, Aaron and his wife's, Jessi new bundle of joy.  This year has certainly brought a lot of wonderful changes so far.  It makes me so excited to see what the rest has in store.

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!  XO

Daddy and Addie sleepy time.

Words Cannot Describe The Love

Addison Marie Cook
Born: March 1, 2012
6 lbs 12.9 oz
18 1/2 inches long

As promised, I am blogging after the arrival of our baby girl, Addison.  It took me a week but I think I'm doing pretty good. :-)  Addison arrived at 6:30 am the morning of March 1st.  Much to the surprise of my co-workers, friends, and doctor I worked until the day before she arrived.  My doctor told me that I was in labor but I still felt good so I figured, why not.  It was better than sitting at home twiddling my thumbs...lol

The night before Addison arrived we were hit with some very late Winter weather, thank you Catskills New York.  So as I'm sitting on our couch trying to determine if I was having contractions or not (at that point it was just tightening which to me sometimes just felt like her moving), I suddenly felt a change.  I text my friend, Abby and told her about it, she of course panicked a bit, as we live in the boonies and the weather was bad.  She wanted me to run to the hospital immediately.  Since I was still comfortable I opted to call the doctor on call.  As I suspected he told me to just hang out for a bit and let him know when the contractions got closer together.  Abby did convince me to come stay at her and her husband's house, which was 10 minutes from the hospital, as opposed to the 35 that we were from home.  Given the weather situation and when I finally called the doctor, I am very glad that we did so. 

When Matt and I arrived at the hospital around 1:30 in the morning on the 1st the contractions had gotten so I knew they were actually contractions, but nothing unbearable and they were 6 minutes apart.  As we were walking in, another couple and their entourage were running in as well.  I told the nurses that the doctor had asked me to come in to be checked.  At the time I didn't notice too much, but after they said something I realized that they were taking their time getting me checked.  After the nurse checked me she informed me that her and the other nurse had been sure that they would be sending me home and keeping the other woman because they thought I was too calm and happy! lol   As it turned out, I was already 5 centimeters, so they quickly got me checked into a room. 

I'm not going to say that labor is a picnic but I will say that throughout my entire pregnancy and then my labor and delivery I was incredibly blessed.  I had a relatively short labor (from when I could actually feel the contractions to delivery it was 5 hours) and the pain wasn't dull by any means but it was manageable.  Thank goodness it was too because by the time the nurse asked me if I wanted any pain medicine (I'm thinking epidural) there was only time for the medicine that dulls the pain.  By dull the pain they mean just knock you out so you can still feel it but you're too drowsy to care. lol  Matt was amazing through it all.  He was right by my side the whole time, rubbing my back, getting me water and offering support.  He was also the nurses helper as well because there was another woman in the next room who was delivering at the same time as I was, so the poor doctor had to go back and forth between the two of us. 

Just a note to my friends who have not had children yet, when the nurse tells you to just breathe through the next contraction and don't push because you have to wait for the doctor, it's ok to tell her no...lol  I thought she was joking until she ran out to the hall and yelled for the doctor to get in the room and then told me to wait again.  Well that wasn't happening, but luckily for the poor nurse, who I think may have fainted if she had actually had to finish delivering my baby, the doctor arrived just in time.

When they set my baby girl on my stomach and I saw her face for the first time, I can't even express how happy and in love I was with her.  Just thinking about it makes me tear up.  There is no greater feeling than meeting your child for the first time.  I thought the day I found out I was pregnant was the greatest day of my life, but the day Addison was finally in my arms definitely trumped that.  I have never felt so blessed as I did in that moment.  I was so distracted by all that love that when they gave her back to me wrapped up and clean I anxiously asked Matt if she had any hair because I hadn't even looked and I didn't want her to be bald...lol  He assured me that she did and boy did she!




I think she's starting to look more like daddy every day.

 The next few days at the hospital were a haze of sleep deprivation, elation, and visitors.  It was nice having the nurses there for support but it was so nice to finally take our baby girl home.  Addie and the animals all met and I am happy to report that the cats are pretty uninterested and Luke has assumed the roll of concerned big brother.  If she cries he gets upset, he parks himself in front of her swing if she's in it and he periodically nuzzles her with his nose, much to her annoyance sometimes...lol  This past week has been a learning process both for Matt and I and for Addison.  We're all trying to figure out how to work together but I think we're getting there and she is one happy little girl.  Matt and I can't stop looking at her.  Daddy looks at his little girl so lovingly and can't stop saying how "stinkin' cute" she is. :-)  As my friend Matt said after the birth of his daughter,"I've never been so happy to be so exhausted in my life."

Matt and I took Addison for her one week check up and much to my surprise she had gained almost another pound (7 lbs 3 oz) and grown over an inch (19 3/4 inches long).  It really is amazing to see how much she has changed already.  I can't stop taking pictures of her and could have easily just posted pictures of her for this blog post with nothing else.  We're just so happy. 

I want to send a special thank you to all of our family and friends who have sent gifts, come by or just called to check on us.  Your support has been great and we can't wait to share more about how Addison is growing and changing. :-)

Until next time!

Well if that's not daddy's face right there...lol

Our sweet angel

Daddy is keeping a watchful eye on his little bug

  Thank you Matt, Rachel & Hannah
these were delicious!

Shout out to Uncle Dustin & Uncle Aaron

Showing some love for our furbabies,
Luke & Spooky