All She Wanted For Christmas Was Her Two Front Teeth...

And she got them!

We noticed the first tooth on Christmas Eve and the second tooth on Christmas Day. I honestly did not know what to look for and found the tooth when she bit me. Poor thing, she probably needed tylenol and orajel weeks before!

Addison's First Christmas

Last year I remember sitting at my parents house on Christmas day thinking about how the next Christmas would be with the addition of BB. (Remember, BB was our babies nickname before we found out we were having a girl). Fast forward to this year and I must say it was the most incredible Christmas EVER! Addison is such a blessing to our entire family and just having her is the best gift of all.

We started celebrating Christmas early with Brian's parents... they came back to Austin with us after David's wedding and stayed until the 23rd. We all hung out, ate a lot of yummy food, did a little shopping, etc. It was so good to celebrate Addison's first Christmas with them, even though it was a few days early.

On Christmas Eve we went to Church with my parents and then came back to the house for tortilla soup. Addison looked so cute in her Christmas outfit that GG bought her.

Christmas morning was so much fun. We woke Addison up and brought her downstairs to open her gifts. She was so fascinated the with all the bows and wanted to eat everything (come to find out she was teething, more on that in a different post). We did not go crazy on presents for her since she pretty much has everything she needs. She got some cute outfits from the Kuhn's, Sophie the Giraffe teether, Beaba Babycook - baby food maker, Baby Sign's DVD, Storybook Bible and much more!

What is that next gift and can I chew on it?

Yes, I can!

After we opened gifts we went over to my parents house to have Christmas lunch with my brother, his fiance Stephanie, Rachel and Shane. Christmas next year will even be more fun because Rachel and Shane are pregnant with twin boys and are due in May. Addison got a lot more fun items for Christmas, like clothes, a doll, glo-sea dragon, glo-worm and flash cards. Notice the wardrobe change... Addison decided to give us a present that required a change of clothes!

After lunch we went out to Bastrop to visit with more family. We took Addison out to meet that Alpacas and dogs. It was such a beautiful day!Addison's first Christmas was perfect in so many ways. We were fortunate enough to see most of our family on or before Christmas (we missed you Peggy, Jim & Aunt Susan) and we had so much fun celebrating the birth of our Savior with little Addison. I look forward to next year when the new traditions can start (Happy Birthday Jesus cake, Santa, etc.)

David & Laurie's Wedding

The weekend before Christmas, we traveled to Dallas to attend Brian's cousins wedding. Addison did so good on the way down and only fussed a little towards the end. We used OnStar navigation to find our hotel and drive around downtown Dallas, it was a life saver!

Friday's activities included lunch with the entire Betzen family, pedicure at a spa near our hotel, rehearsal dinner at a mexican food restaurant. This was the first time a lot of the family got to meet Addison. The highlight was meeting baby Madeleine, who was born about a month after Addison.

Saturday Addison and I met Leanne, Skylar and Carter for breakfast, it was wonderful getting to see them, even though it was only for a short time. After brunch, Melody, Staci, Addison and I went to Northpark Mall to shop and get our makeup done for the wedding.

The wedding was at the W Hotel, and was really special. The whole family looked awesome all dressed up, especially little Addison.

Then to conclude our action packed weekend, we went to Madeleine's baptism on Sunday. Needless to say Addison slept the entire way home. It was such an awesome weekend, and Addison did so good adjusting to all the new surroundings.

Happy 5 Months!

Fun Facts of the Month:

• First overnight visit at Grandpa & GG's
• First snow - I woke her up from a nap (she was wearing a thin cotton sleeper), put her outside in the bumbo and took a picture. She was very curious about the white flakes falling from the sky.
• Preferred method of moving around is rolling, even though she can scoot.
• Started her on cereal, the first time was awful but I think we have it down to the right mixture of oatmeal, juice and water.
• First visit with Mr. & Mrs. Claus in Salado.
• Approx. 14.5 pounds.
• Had her first sinus infection :(
• Reaches for toys, defiantly a lot more playful.
• Sits for 1-3 minutes and then face plants into the floor.
• Loves to pull on Mommy's hair and necklaces.
• Celebrated First Thanksgiving.
• Still not sleeping though the night
• LOVES Praise Baby DVD's

Click below to view Addison's 5 month pictures:

http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=3109533007/a=34652780_34652780/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Twinkle Toes

We recently introduced Addison to the Jumperoo... it was quite hilarious watching her try to figure it out.

Time for Yum Yum's

At the 4 month well check our pediatrician gave us the green light to start cereal at 5 months. We decided to try it a week early in a desperate attempt to sleep longer (it did not work). We tried rice cereal first and she absolutely hated it. Brian and I both tried it and agreed that it tasted awful. Since then we have tried a variety of formulations, her favorite so far is oatmeal mixed with her apple prune juice. We still have to watch Praise Baby DVD's during her feeding so she will eat it, but at least she does not scream anymore! She has also gotten so much better by opening her mouth for the spoon, etc. In two weeks we will start real solid foods.

Salado Stroll

For the past three years we have attended the Salado Christmas Stroll with our dear friends, this year was extra special because we had little Addison with us. We started off the evening by eating at the Stagecoach Inn and then strolled down main street to do some shopping. We purchased a precious picture frame and Addison's first Christmas ornament. Addison also got to take her picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus. It was a fun evening and look forward to strolling again next year!

First Snow

Addison experienced her first "Austin Style" snow... There had been all sorts of hype about a snowstorm that could put inches of snow on the ground for us. I was so excited! It was about 37 degrees when it started snowing, so I knew there would be no accumulation. Addison was asleep when the snow started, so I went upstairs, woke her up and put her outside in her bumbo so I could take pictures. Poor girl, she was wearing a thin cotton sleeper. Luckily she was too curious about the snow to think about how cold it was outside.

Addison Laughing - Great Video

Here is a video of Addison laughing at my parents house on Thanksgiving. We finally got a good video of it! I wish I could make my daughter laugh like this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ke84cq3Uo

Addison's First Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving we had so much to be thankful for and it was a true blessing to get to see almost my whole entire family on Thanksgiving day.

To celebrate Thanksgiving, we went over to my parents house to eat lunch with my parents, John, Stephanie, Rachel, Shane, Aunt Susan, Uncle Pat, Sean and Amanda. It was so much fun hanging out with everyone and Addison really enjoyed playing with Amanda. We ate a delicious traditional Thanksgiving meal with Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry relish and much much more. After lunch, me, Brian, Addison and my parents went out to Bastrop to visit the rest of the family. It was such a wonderful "1st Thanksgiving" for Addison. The only thing that would have made it more perfect was if Brian's family was with us. Fortunately we saw them all the week before in Hereford, so we consider Addison's First Thanksgiving to be extended between these two weeks.

Addison - 4 Months

This has be the best month yet! Addison has been so much fun and it is nice to watch her play with toys, "talk" with different sounds, smile, laugh, roll and respond to voices and sounds. In a lot of ways she is so much easier, but there are still some areas that are challenging (like no longer sleeping through the night). Someone told me that once you figure something out, they change.... that is so true! We love our little angel so much!

The Pediatrician Visit:

Brian and I took Addison to her 4 month well check on the 18th and we are happy to say she is still PERFECT! We were able to spend some time talking about our questions and it was a good visit.

Weight: 13.3 Pounds - 50th Percentile Height: 25 Inches - 75th Percentile Head Circumference: 40.5cm - 45th Percentile

Overall, she is long and lean and doing fabulous!

Fun Facts from the 4th Month:

• Stopped sleeping though the night at 3 months and have become a habitual night feeder (not such a fun fact)
• She started grabbing, shaking and playing with toys
• Obsessed with putting things in her mouth and gets frustrated that both fists will not fit.
• Loves the exersaucer
• Praise baby dvd’s are still a lifesaver
• Loves to stand up and face out so she can see the world
• Rolls over, mostly from tummy to back.
• Introduced her to the sassy bouncer, she sways more than bounces
• First airplane ride and overnight visit to Hereford, she did great!
• Laughing and smiling a lot more
• Making a lot more sounds
• Loves playing airplane & flying
• Loves her weekly playdates with her future husband Judah (he was born the day before Addison)
• Enjoys going on long walks
• A lot more independent and can play by herself

While I know month 5 will be full of fun new things, it will be a bit challenging in some areas. We are working on sleep training Addison to break her habitual night feeding habit. I am also working on putting her on a more structured feeding schedule.

4 Month Photos

Here is a link to Addison's 4 Month Photos, Enjoy! http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2578143007/a=34652780_34652780/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Trip to Hereford

On November 13-15th, we were blessed with a trip to Hereford to visit Addison's Grandparents and Great Grandparents. It was such a wonderful time and Addison really enjoyed the farm!

She got to play with new toys...

Loved to "swing" in her new doorway jumper...

Sweet picture with Pops and Grandmommy...

Addison got to meet her Great Grandparents Clarence and Mildred...Addison loves her Great-Grandmommy Peggy...

I adore this picture...

First trip out to the farm and her first 4-wheeler ride... She loved it!

First Airplane Ride

In November, we took Addison on her first airplane trip to visit her Grandparents and Great Grandparents in Hereford. I was a bit anxious about flying with Addison knowing her unpredictable mood. Addison did so good on the plane and slept pretty much the entire time. I know flying with a child become more difficult as they get older. Luckily it is only a 2 1/2 hour travel time.