November 19, 2008 - Addie was pretty curious about the Christmas tree today. She scooted over until she could reach the tree skirt and stuff it in her mouth. She looked pretty proud of herself. When I brought her to touch the tree today, she wasn't hesitant at all - she grabbed a whole branch and tried to bring it to her mouth! I guess I didn't have to worry about her getting used to the Christmas tree after all... now my future goal is going to have to be how to keep her from grabbing it and knocking it over!

November 18, 2008 - I put up the Christmas tree today... I know, it's early - but I have a really good excuse! Well, maybe not a good enough excuse to put it up this early, but I just couldn't wait! It was funny watching Addie while I put the tree up and turned on the lights. She gave a lot of stares and then would turn away and not look at the tree at all. I picked her up and she stared at the tree again. Then she turned away so she couldn't see it again. When I brought her closer she looked at me hesitantly and put one single finger out toward the tree branch and touched a needle. She pulled her hand back and that was that. A few tries later and Addie would touch a few more needles at a time. We'll see what happens!

November 10, 2008 - Addie is working so hard on her crawling skills. She gets up on her knees now and begins rocking, but doesn't get anywhere yet. She has chewed on some furniture as she travels backwards around our living room though! Bath time is really fun... we are going to have to retire the baby tub soon because she keeps climbing out of it... after splashing half of the water out of it of course! I've learned how to stay dry now by keeping a towel over my lap as she delightfully splashes with her hands and feet!

November 5, 2008 - Hooray for SNOW! We woke up to a couple of inches of snow today and I wasn't sad about it at all. I can say that I love snow more than any other kind of weather... hopefully Addie will too so we can spend lots of time outside playing when she is older! Speaking of our little girl... she learned how to splash in the bath a few weeks ago and I learned that it is a good idea to have her towel over my lap to avoid having to change into dry clothes. Well, today she learned that your feet make much bigger splashes and you can actually get most of the water out of your baby tub if you kick really fast and scream at the same time. It was quite a joyous event for her... not so much for Mommy who realized that the baby bath is not going to contain Addie for very much longer!

November 4, 2008 - We have a winter storm brewing outside. I had to run outside to put some fence rails back in place so they weren't banging around during Addie's nap. She is kind of a light sleeper these days and would prefer it if I would just hold her during her naps so I was quick to make the banging fence stop before it woke her up again... after all, I have to spend my precious nap time minutes to get everything done! I grabbed a vest and slid on my flip flops only to realize that once I was out in the weather that it was much colder than I anticipated. I came in with very large goose bumps and some tingling toes, but I can't help but be excited for the snow to come none the less!

November 3, 2008 - Addie continues to make progress on her crawling skills. She doesn't even care about playing with her toys anymore. It is all about getting onto her tummy and moving. Unfortunately, she doesn't get where she wants to go and cries out for me to rescue her and give her little arms a break. I have to say though that she is getting quite the big biceps. She is such a strong girl. Well, today she scooted backwards again until she got further and further under the coffee table until only her upper body was sticking out! She was cool with it though and probably would have kept going until she got stuck... Mommy wouldn't let her get that far of course, but I did get some pictures before I rescued her!

November 2, 2008 - Addie is now crawling... kind of... and she goes backwards! She gets her arms up under her and pushes up until her tummy gets up, but when she gets her knees up then her arms go down. She's really close to crawling though. We are going to have to clean our carpets soon so they are ready for our curious little girl.

November 1, 2008 - Our friends Garrett and Brittany came over for dinner and games. We had fun playing Rock Band. Addie even had fun playing on the floor and getting lots of extra attention. During dinner, Addie ate pieces of bread as I gave them to her. That is quite a feat because she is not the biggest fan of solid foods yet. She's learning though!

October 31, 2008 - Happy Halloween! We had our ward Trunk-or-Treat party today. It was combined with 2 other wards so we had a great turn-out. We estimated that about 180 kids came around. Some snuck around twice too! We were dressed up in our Star Wars attire... Aaron was Han Solo, I was Princess Leia and Addie was an Ewok. Basically she stole the show. We even had people ask us if they could take her picture! Our little star!!! We won the trunk decorating contest again this year... everyone that came around said they heard that we were the car to beat! Yeah!

October 27, 2008 - Happy Birthday to Aaron! He is now 29 years old and getting older by the minute... officially pushing 30! I made chocolate cupcakes today with coconut on top. I was barely able to fit all 29 candles on one cupcake. Addie and I gave him some Star Wars stuff and a Wii game. I think he had a pretty good day!

October 25, 2008 - We went for a drive around Utah Lake just before dark this evening. It was so pretty to see the sun setting with the mountains turning red in the background. It was a fun drive. Addie fell asleep pretty quickly and Aaron and I talked the rest of the way. It ended up taking 2 hours to get all the way around and back. We probably missed the turn for a shorter route back but it was fun anyways. It has been such a long time since we have had time to be leisurely since Aaron is so busy with school. I can't wait until he graduates! I think he is excited too!

October 19, 2008 - Addie was blessed in church today during Sacrament meeting. Greg and Raquel came with their kids and her parents as well as Betty. They sat right behind us in church. Brandon did great thanks to a big bag of bribing candy! Aaron invited a few friends to be in the circle for Addie's blessing along with Nate of course. He gave a beautiful blessing that really brought comfort to us. Addie only fussed a little bit and Aaron's arms were tired by the end, but other than that everything went really well. Addie was so adorable in her white dress and headband!

October 18, 2008 - Today was our temple day! Mom and Grandma spent the night in a hotel while Nathan stayed here and occupied our living room floor in a sleeping bag. Addie was so excited to see Nathan. I think he attracts all the girls! Mom and Grandma both had their turn of grins and giggles. We got Addie all ready to go and went to the Timpanogos Temple to have her sealed into our family forever. It was amazing to be there with her finally. I was so excited that I couldn't even cry! We had so many friends attend that I was overwhelmed by the support. Addie was hilarious... she gave her biggest pout for everyone to see when she came into the sealing room! It was probably overwhelming for her to see so many people watching her! It was sure cute to see her classic pout though and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Afterwards, we took pictures outside with some of the people that attended. Addie was happy to oblige with many giggles because it is always fun to be outside! It was a beautiful day and I'm glad that Aaron and I were able to enjoy the peace and comfort that comes from attending the temple.

October 17, 2008 - I got my stitches out this morning at the doctor's office. Everything looked really good and you can hardly see the scar. It should clear up completely someday. I get the tube removed from my eye ducts in another month and everything will be all done. The doctor said that I was really lucky to have had a cyst and nothing more. The surgery was really rushed last week because they didn't know what it was and wanted to get it out and diagnosed as soon as possible in case it was something serious. Lucky for me it wasn't a big deal. I hope I never have surgery ever again though because I've had enough!

It was a long day of waiting for Mom, Grandma and Nate to arrive. They didn't get here until almost 8:00 pm! That meant that I spent most of the day cleaning and was pretty tired by the time they got here! Addie was already asleep in bed so everyone just took a peek at her sleeping in the crib. We had pizza and cake for dinner... thanks to Jody for the cake! We went to bed almost on schedule because we knew we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow!

October 15, 2008 - Today was the big day... we went to court to petition for adoption! Everything went great. I was a little bit worn out having it be my first day taking care of Addie... not to mention the crazy amount of chores I did to keep me busy this morning. Addie was a hoot at the courthouse. She let everyone know she was taking part in the action with her little squeals. She was the wiggliest I have ever seen her so Aaron had to hold her the whole time! Everything is done and finalized now so we are glad the long but short wait is over. She's OURS!!!

October 14, 2008 - I got a call from my doctor today saying that everything was okay with the mass that was in my tear duct area. It is not a tumor even - but it was a cyst that normally little kids under the age of two get... I guess I'm just young for my age! He told me that I could have a party, but I think I'll wait for the weekend for that! We can't wait to go to the temple with Addie! Tomorrow we have our court appearance so I'm already getting nervous!

October 13, 2008 - I had more friends and neighbors over today to help with Addie since Aaron is back at work. It's not fun when I'm not the one pampering Addie. I miss taking care of her and I think she misses it too - every once in a while she looks at me like what are you doing Mom? She has been really good with everyone though so it has worked out well. I was really sick today so I was glad to have the extra help while I am recovering.

October 12, 2008 - It snowed today so it looks like we had fall weather for about a week. I hear that it's supposed to warm up again next week though... we'll see! Addie loved watching it snow. She reached toward the window while Aaron was holding her on the couch. He took her outside too! Every once in a while she would look out the window and watch the snow before going back to playing with her toys on the floor. It was so cute!

October 11, 2008 - More sleep... I am still really tired from surgery. I did stay awake more today but drifted off during every movie that I tried to watch. Addie loved spending the day with Daddy! She was full of smiles and everything - probably because Daddy lets her play with cool things like the remotes and his toys. Lucky girl - spoiled girl!

October 10, 2008 -  I have the greatest friends ever. I am not able to lift Addie for a week because I could strain myself and cause damage to my surgery so I had friends come over all day today to help me out. I'm sure they all heard me snore a few times because the pain medication knocked me out! Addie was pretty good for being all out of whack with her schedule. I think she liked all of the attention though! She also got to play with some other little kids so she was really excited and worn out at the same time! I wouldn't have made it through the day without my friends - I will have to return the favor someday!

October 9, 2008 - The doctor wanted me to come in at 8:00 in the morning to get ready for surgery today. I was really not excited because we didn't even know the results of the MRI yet. He talked to us and told us it looked really good... the only thing they were concerned about was removing the mass in my lacrimal sac and tear duct areas. We had a few hours to kill so we came home and let Addie take a nap. I went with Aaron to UVU so he could go to class and then we headed down to the surgical center. I was all prepped and ready to go when they noticed that I had a fever. The doctor was concerned and wanted to wait to operate to make sure I was okay, but that would have meant only a couple of days to recover before going to court for Addie's adoption... so we went ahead with the surgery and I got a big dose of antibiotics to make sure I don't get sicker. The surgery went really well. They took out an M&M size tumor and sent it off to be tested at UCLA. We'll know the results next week. Until then I get to sleep on the couch!

October 8, 2008 - Aaron stayed home from work again today. I spent much of the day at the hospital stuck in a noisy tube. It was not fun. I almost passed out after the first 45 minutes when I stood up for them to change the head brace on the MRI. I endured the next scan with no problems. I had to go back a second time later in the day to finish everything up. They injected dye through an IV and finished up the MRIs. I hope I never have to do that again... especially 3 hours of it in one day!

October 6, 2008 - Aaron stayed home from work today because he has a bad cold and cough. It worked out well though because I was able to leave Addie home with him while I went to the doctor. I had my appointment today with the second eye doctor who is also a plastic surgeon. He looked at the bump in my tear duct and decided that I need to have it removed this week. He said it isn't a good idea to leave anything in there even if it ends up being benign because it can cause damage if it gets too big. So I am scheduled for 3 MRI scan things on Wednesday. That will be fun!

October 5, 2008 - Today was another day of General Conference. Aaron is still sick so he ended up sleeping all morning! I can't say much though because I was in bed all afternoon! Hopefully we will both get better soon!

October 4, 2008 - We were supposed to go on a date tonight, but Aaron and our babysitter both got sick. We watched General Conference on TV and I finally finished painting some more baseboards so now our kitchen is finally done. I'll get all of the painting done someday!

October 1, 2008 - I was so excited for October that I put Addelynn in her Halloween outfit... an orange shirt, black skirt, and striped tights! It was adorable though quite warm since it was 86 degrees outside today. That's okay though because we spent most of the day in the luxury of air conditioned buildings like the doctor's office and the mall of course! I had my eye examined today to see what the bump by my tear duct was. The doctor numbed my eyes and stuck a probe through the little ducts to irrigate it and see what was going on. Nothing was blocked but the doctor didn't know what it was either so he is sending me to a plastic surgeon next week. Now I'm really not looking forward to it. He thinks surgery probably won't be absolutely necessary but he wants a second opinion from this doctor to find out what it actually is. It could be a stone like you would find in your kidneys or a cyst-like growth or a benign tumor. I guess I will find out next week! Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous, but my lacrimal sac is taking it pretty well so far!

September 29, 2008 - So I have had a sore throat for the last two months and now I finally know why because I actually went to the doctor. Some people know that is not my favorite thing to do so it is an accomplishment in and of itself that I actually went! It turns out that I have had a chronic sinus infection and that is why I have felt lousy. I guess I'll never learn my lesson about when to go to the doctor because it seems like I always go too early or wait too long! I'm glad I went though, but I'm not too excited about my referral to an ophthalmologist that I have to go see later this week for a little bump in the corner of my eye.

September 28, 2008 - Aaron wasn't feeling good today so he stayed home from church to get over a sinus headache. I think he is kind of overdoing it with school and work and family and everything, but he'll make it through as hard as it is. Anyways, that left me bringing Addelynn to church all by myself... she chatted up a storm in Sacrament Meeting and filled the Primary Room with grunts and squeals while the kids were singing. She is getting way to heavy to carry around everywhere with me. It is going to be kind of nice when she can walk on her own two feet someday!

September 27, 2008 - My friend Mandi had her baby shower today which me and a few more of her friends threw for her. We kept it simple with no "official" games and lots of talking in a casual open house style. The food was great and very sweet... I think I gained a few pounds from the cream puffs - not to mention the leftover tub that I have in my freezer! Mandi is on bed rest so we made sure that she kept her feet up and enjoyed it. Baby Browen is going to be a spoiled little boy so we were very happy with the shower!

September 26, 2008 - Finally, a girls' night out... or in... my friend, Elana has a stamp club for Stampin' Up that I went to tonight. She is so creative and I always get tons of ideas from her that I steal but can never take full credit for unfortunately! We made the cutest cards and a Halloween box filled with candy. I always wonder why I don't think of such cute things but that is the best thing about getting together and crafting. I sound so nerdy, but hey - I like being a nerd so it's okay! The best part about it was talking to other adults. Even talking to a bunch of kindergarten kids all day was more involved than the babbling sounds of Addie... which I love by the way - but it's so nice to learn English again after spending my days and nights with a baby!

September 25, 2008 - Addie and I went to IKEA with our friend Veronica and her baby Isaac. Veronica was looking for some bookcases for her front room and I was happy to follow along and check out all of the cool stuff there. Addie did pretty good... and she also decided that she was a big girl now. I had set her down in her car seat which was in the basket while I put her bottle away. Then she pulled herself up into a sitting position and kept grunting until I picked her up. So I put her in the shopping cart seat and buckled her in. I think she thought she had won the lottery or something because she made sure to let everyone know how excited she was with her squeals and kicking legs the rest of the adventure through the store. Oh, how our little baby is growing up!

September 15, 2008 - Addie has another trick that I just have to mention. She is getting really good at making the funniest facial expressions. She does this thing now where she puts her head down to her chest and looks up at you with her eyes. She does it over and over again with the most serious face on. Then she looks up and smiles before doing it again. It's hilarious... I know, you have to be there to see it and I hope you get to see it someday!

September 14, 2008 - So Addie is really sitting up now. She has been getting more and more steady for the last couple of weeks and went from "wobbly needs support on both sides or I'll tip over" to "I'm so cool look at how I sit up on my own and play with my toys." When Addie puts her mind to it, she is serious about what she wants. When I lay her down on her back now... she cries and fusses. When I put her down in a sitting position... she babbles and squeals with joy! I guess she knows what she wants... I keep telling Aaron that she is strong willed - just like Mommy!!!

September 13, 2008 - Yes, there is a long break in between these entries. Let's just say that I have been busy and Addie has been adjusting to being home again! Well, she has been fine... she is growing a ton. Just a few days ago Addie decided that she was ready to go to bed by herself. I was rocking her to sleep and she wouldn't stop fussing so I put her in her crib. She was asleep in just a few minutes. I guess that was that because I put her to bed that night and she went to sleep after crying for a little bit. I thought I was the luckiest Mom ever - the next few days went the same way... put Addie in her crib, turn on the mobile, and find her sleeping 10 minutes later. What can I say? She's absolutely amazing!

September 2, 2008 - I miss home already! Addie is a little bit cranky today so she is probably experiencing a little bit of traveling fatigue just like the rest of us. It will take a few days for all of us to get back on schedule. We miss everyone and even though we were home for a week, it didn't feel like long enough at all! We wish we could live closer to family, but at the same time we love it in Utah too. I guess you can't always have everything!

September 1, 2008 - We made it home. Yesterday seemed like it took forever. We had to stop by Mom's house in the morning to pick up something that we forgot. Then we had a quick trip to Target (one of my favorite stores) for baby wipes and formula. Then we had to fill up on gas and finally we were on our way! It seemed like it took a lot longer to get home than it did to get there. We stopped in Ontario, Oregon for the night at a brand new hotel. I have to say that the service was great and the place was really nice for a Holiday Inn Express. We plan on staying there every time we travel if possible because they were the same price as the rest of the old hotels that were really old! Aaron drove most of the way home and it was such a relief to be home. Traveling is tiring when you have to drive for 2 days, but we don't know what it will be like to travel on an airplane with Addie yet so we will see what happens in December when we go back to Seattle for Nate's wedding!

August 30, 2008 - We had breakfast with Great Grandma and Grandpa Glass this morning. I can't believe that we got up and were ready on time. It is a lot harder to get ready with a baby let alone while you are traveling with everything in a suitcase! ...But we did it and had a good breakfast. I eat so much food when we are on vacation! Addie loved the trains going around the ceiling of the restaurant. It's our last day in Seattle. It will be sad to go home but I am ready to go after such a busy week. It's going to be really quiet at home all of a sudden when it is just Addie and I home during the day. We'll have to visit our friends and have some play dates when we get back.

August 29, 2008 - We went to Seattle today. I was so excited to go to our favorite store, Uwajimaya. We got some of our favorite foods which are way overpriced and don't taste that great, but it's Japanese and we love the nostalgia of it! Aaron picked out some Asian pajamas for Addie which she won't be wearing for awhile (maybe sooner than we think with the way she is growing). They were so cute and Aaron was so pleading that I couldn't way no. I looked for my favorite chopsticks that I cook with, but couldn't find them. The best part of the store was looking at the bookstore. I found my favorite pens that you can't find hardly anywhere in America! Nobody makes a finer tip pen than the Japanese... 0.3 is my favorite size though they do go smaller than that - what? I'm a perfectionist when it comes to penmanship so a good pen is a good pen. Aaron found a book with illustrations from an artist that he likes and I picked out a couple of board books for Addie. They are so CUTE - they have little cutouts so you can guess what is on the next page. We also walked down by the pier which was fun because it brought back memories of the visits I made growing up in Seattle. We didn't go downtown that often so it is still really fun. I love looking around in the shops, but it feels a lot more touristy now that I'm an adult. Did I just say that... I guess you feel a lot more like an adult when you have kids! Weird. We went to the Seattle Aquarium which I enjoyed a lot. I am such a nerd that I could read every display but we didn't have that kind of time... I'll have to go back again someday! Addie noticed a few things but her favorite part was the jellyfish. We got her a stuffed octopus - which is a great chew toy by the way! I'm sure the octopus felt right at home with the amount of moisture that Addie had to offer!

August 27, 2008 - Now it's Aaron's turn to spend time with his family. We went over to their house today to spend the rest of the week. Aaron and his dad went to band practice tonight while I stayed home with Addie and his mom. We all went to bed early because we hit the sack as soon as Addie fell asleep. It was a good night... Aaron had fun too!

August 26, 2008 - We dropped Addie off with Grandma and Grandpa Glass late this afternoon so we could go to the temple with my little brother Nathan for the first time. I was really excited because I am so proud of Nate for keeping the standards of the church and reaching his goals. In fact, he is going to be coming down for Addie's temple sealing in a couple of months so we are really excited about that. Nathan acted so natural at the temple... it was like he had been there a hundred times already. It was a good thing that we loaded Mom up with a bunch of extra tissues because everyone made sure to get a few tears out of her before the night was through. I'm so happy to see my family at the temple. I'm really lucky that my mom has stayed faithful to the covenants she made in the temple so long ago because her example has helped Nathan and I go to the temple as well. She's the best Mom.

August 24, 2008 - We went to church with Mom today. It was strange to be in the ward where I grew up because a lot of people are still there and I have spent most of my adult life in Utah. It was fun to see some friends from high school with their kids. Everyone gave Addie lots of attention. They were glad to see her! This afternoon we all went to Grandma and Grandpa Rengler's house for dinner. We got to see Travis, Leslee, and Addison (Addy) too. Leslee took lots of pictures of the cousins together. Addie enjoyed grabbing onto Addy's shirt, arm, or whatever was in reach and using it as leverage to roll over. It was cute until Addie pinched Addy and made her cry. It's all captured on film too - you can see the sequence of events as Addie moves in on Addy and pinches her right in the arm... we felt really bad for little baby Addy. We spread them further apart after that. After play time, both Addie and Addy fell asleep. Yep, you guessed it... time for more pictures. It is a lot easier to take pictures when they're sleeping! We had fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but we probably teased Grandma a little bit too much. She is a good sport though so I hope she forgives us!

August 23, 2008 - We made it! Addie was so good in the car. She was fussy one time and luckily I realized it was because she had a poopy diaper! We pulled off on a random exit and used a convenient dumpster behind a hotel to dispose of the bundled up diaper! We were on our way again and I ended up driving most of the way today. I was so proud of myself because I don't really like to drive! We got to see Aaron's parents first. The animals all were curious about Addie and came around to sniff at her. She was delighted of course. Then we went to Mom's house where we knew we wouldn't get much sleep because we always end up talking late into the night! It was a good day. It's always good to be home!

August 22, 2008 - On our way to Seattle, WA... we are fortunate enough to have a whole week off of school and work (for Aaron) so that we can visit our families in Washington. This will be Addie's first time to see her cousin Addy. We left today after Aaron got home from work. I spent the day slowing packing the car by hauling one thing at a time while pushing Addie back and forth in the stroller all the way to our parking spot... this is not the easiest thing to do in really hot weather when you live in a condo and don't park particularly close to where you live! We made it though and were in good spirits on our way to get a few hours behind us for the evening. Addie was really good in the car until we got stuck in some heavy traffic. As soon as we were on our way again, she was sound asleep and quite a happy little girl. We finally found a hotel in Mountain Home, Idaho where we stayed the night. Addie was wide awake and ready for play time so she practiced her rolling over skills on the big bed! Needless to say we didn't get to sleep right away but it was funny how excited Addie was to finally have room to roam!

August 15, 2008 - "Houston, we have a blow-out!" We have experienced our first official blow-out with Addie... and it was not pretty. We woke up a little bit earlier than usual to Addie talking away in her crib. I thought nothing of it and since she wasn't fussy or anything, I enjoyed a few more minutes enjoying the comfort of our bed. I got up and walked into her room noticing a quite pungent odor and realized right away why Addie was up early today... and we experienced "a major blow-out." Her crib was quite a mess and the smell reminded me of the worst hamster cage days. I quickly removed the clothing and diaper from Addie - who was smiling as usual - and gave her to Daddy to clean up in the bathtub. Meanwhile, Mommy had the pleasure of using half a bottle of Oxiclean on her bedding finishing just in time for Daddy to hand Addie off and go to work. Upon further inquiry, we found out that Addie's diaper wasn't changed after her bottle last night... hence the mess we found today! We won't mention the name of the person who forgot the diaper changing last night after feeding Addie, but it was someone around 6'1" with brown hair, green eyes, and a scruffy face. Next time Daddy gets crib duty... but hopefully there won't be a next time! We are lucky the weather cooled off enough to air out the house this morning!!!

August 9, 2008 - We had the best time tonight. I got up while Aaron was walking away just to see if I could get Addie to smile and coo... instead, we got rip-roaring laughter! Addie was so excited that she was screaming and laughing at the same time! I went around the corner and said, "I'm gonna' get you!" Every time I would come closer she would squeal and grin. I was laughing so hard that my tummy hurt. Aaron was on the verge of tears and was to the point that he couldn't make any sound anymore! It was a "you had to be there" experience so we will be sure to try this new trick out every chance we get! It has been one busy week for Addie... she was so tuckered out today that she had extra-long naps!!!

August 8, 2008 - I just have to say that this has been the greatest week! Addie has been doing so much... thanks to her happy tummy full of new food she is so much more content. Aaron takes care of Addie every chance he gets and tonight I got to make cards. It has been a long time since I have dived into a project and let's just say that I sunk into a heap of paper and scraps in no time! I'm not cleaning up either... tomorrow looks like another good card day! After all, Aaron is out of school for a few weeks!

August 7, 2008 - And she ROLLS... Yeah Addie! I put Addelynn down on the ground for a little tummy time and turned around to grab some of her toys from her overflowing toy box. I turned around just in time to see her roll finishing on her back. I couldn't miss this moment so I put her back on her tummy hoping to see it again! She performed quite well and the next several rolls were successful with even more smoothness and speed. She was tuckered out by the end of the day though so Aaron has yet to see her new trick. My mom said it is like riding a bike... once you get it you get it and sure enough, Addie got it! Yeah!

August 6, 2008 - This message is for you Daddy! We miss you! We love you MORE!!! Hope you are having a good day at work and good luck on your Calculus final tonight! Can't wait to see you at bedtime!

August 5, 2008 - We found the magic food... Addie loves SQUASH!!! She was so funny because so far everything she has eaten was quickly aimed at Mommy at spit out... until now! Addie opened her mouth for a bite not knowing what to expect this time and was so excited by the squash that she grabbed the spoon and pulled it in her mouth. She opened her mouth over and over like a little birdie and downed half of the squash in one sitting! Now we know what she likes and she is starting to perfect the art of eating with one hand stuffing anything left on her chin right back in!

August 4, 2008 - We went out and got Addie her very first set of luggage. She's a rock star so we had to get a pink rolling suitcase. It just happened to have a matching pink backpack that came with it. She's getting ready to visit everyone really soon! We can't wait to see you all!!!

August 3, 2008 - Addie is getting quite the abs! She has really thinned out and gotten longer in the last little bit. If only I spent as much time pulling my knees up to my chest as she does! Not a bad idea if you have time to lay around all day long! Addie is becoming quite a little ball of energy. She is constantly looking for someone or something to play with. Her latest move is the half-roll where she gets up to her side but not all the way over... it's hilarious because she doesn't even care if she makes it to her back or tummy. She's just happy to be doing something!

August 2, 2008 - So we started trying solid foods... you can imagine where most of the food ended up! No, not on her chin... no, not on her bib... no, not on her hands... YES, on her Mommy! Not only did she push in out with her tongue, but she projected it with that amazing super baby spit power of hers! I guess she is not a fan of rice cereal, but we'll keep trying and see if she gets the hang of it soon!

August 1, 2008 - Okay, so I admit it! I like to dress Addelynn up everyday! I don't mind picking out her clothes and adding accessories to make her even cuter than she already is! I did make her some more bracelets so she would have something to match every outfit. Oh how we spoil our little girl! I never thought I would be such a doting parent but I can't stand to spend any time away from Addie. I miss her even when someone else is just holding her! I guess that I define what a first time parent is like!

July 31, 2008 - We had a pool party today with a few friends from school. A couple of them brought their kids with them which Addie absolutely loved. She was pretty funny in the pool because she would suck in her breath when she would get splashed a little. We were at the pool for almost two hours and Addie seemed to really like it... or at least not mind it. Part of the time she even talked to everyone. She is such a social little thing! Everyone kept saying how good she is to not be fussy at all... but what they didn't see was the tired Addie back at home. From the moment we walked in the door, Addelynn was screaming and rubbing her eyes. She was probably way overdue for a bottle and a nap. I was barely able to get her to drink anything before she was snoring on my lap. At least I got her wet swimsuit off and some nice dry clothes on her (even with the screaming). Let's just say that she had the best nap ever!!! I think we'll have to go swimming again but maybe not as long next time!

July 30, 2008 - Addelynn had her doctor appointment today! She is 4 months old and above average in every category! She weighs 16 pounds (90th percentile) and is 25 inches long (75th percentile). Her head size is something big too because she is in the 90th percentile and the doctor teased her about being a smartie! Addie sure loved going to the doctor today. She was all smiles and coos! It all started out with the fish tank that she spotted from across the room so we had to go over and stare at them for a good 10 minutes. When we met the nurse and started talking, Addie perked up and decided that she wanted to be a part of it all... she let out her biggest squeals of delight along with some hearty laughs to match her dimples hiding deep within her cheeks. When the doctor came in she was just as excited to talk to him. It was rather adorable that she finally showed off in public since she usually does everything just with Aaron and I at home. The doctor was pretty impressed and sat around to talk with Addie before she had to get her shots... which she didn't like at all when the second one went in! Next time he assured us that she won't have as many so I was happy about that. He said she is ready for solid foods so we are going to try our best to convince Addie of that in the next few weeks. I think her growling tummy will finally get the best of her and be the best encouragement in that department!

July 19, 2008 - Aaron and I have been married for FIVE years now! That seems like such a long time when we are just now having kids. We have been waiting so long to have a baby... Addie has been the best addition to our family and we can't wait to have another one! At first I thought we would wait until Addie was 2 years old to adopt another baby, but now I'm hoping for earlier... like when she is eighteen months old!!!

July 17, 2008 - Okay, so I'm writing about Addie again... but what else is more cute to write about? So she finally started laughing. I was playing with her and blowing on her cheeks when she got really excited and squealed with delight. When I did it again she started laughing. It is a completely different laugh from the giggle that she does in her sleep!

July 16, 2008 - Addie's new favorite things are to grunt and make a turtle face... but not at the same time. The grunting usually takes place when we are driving in the car. The turtle face happens at any moment... she puckers in her lips and her top lip turns into a little triangle shape. We haven't been able to get a picture of it yet because it only lasts so long!

July 15, 2008 - We dropped off Nathan and Emily at the airport today. Before they left, Nathan finally got some big smiles out of Addelynn! Now she'll have to get used to him all over again the next time we see him!

July 14, 2008 - Nate finished the crown moulding in our bathroom today. It was not an easy job! He worked really hard to get it all done and he did a great job. Now I just have to fill in the nail holes, caulk the corners and paint it all. Nate and Emily were here by 9:15 tonight so we stayed up playing games. It was fun to get to know Emily better. Nate gave Addie her very own Build - A - Bear... it is a monkey dressed in a jean skirt, pink hula shirt, sandals, a purse and cute sunglasses. It is as big as Addie! She was cute when we were taking pictures because she kept sucking on the monkey's arms. Addie looked cute in the monkey's sunglasses too!

July 13, 2008 - Sunday... we all slept in today after a busy weekend. I hardly slept at all last night because I spent too much time in the sun yesterday and ended up with a terrible sunburn... which I usually do every year! We ended up staying home from church and I slept in bed the whole time. I felt so sick! Addie is being a big sleeper today too! Aaron is enjoying time to look up a bunch of stuff on his computer.

July 12, 2008 - A very busy day... Nathan and I worked on the crown moulding again this morning. I even sawed some of the boards. Only one more day to go and we'll be ready to caulk the corners and edges. Yeah! Greg and Raquel came over this afternoon. We played Rock Band for awhile before heading out to the pool. Aaron even brought Addie out for a little bit. She liked it more this time and kicked her legs back and forth. I didn't feel sun burnt until it was too late. I could feel my shoulders and back sizzling all night. I always spend too much time in the sun... it's hard to want to leave the pool when everyone else is just fine and I am the one getting a burn! We went to a BBQ for Emily's family tonight. It was fun to meet them. I wish we had a backyard! I am getting house hungry!!!

July 11, 2008 - Nathan is kind enough to help me with a bathroom project of putting up an extra wide crown moulding. Basically he is doing all of the work and I help out when I can. We got up one set of boards today. Later I brought Addie to Aaron's work to show her off again! Everyone stopped as they walked by Aaron's desk to say how cute she is!

July 10, 2008 - Today we went to pick up Nathan and Emily from the airport. Addie liked Emily right away and gave her lots of smiles. She wasn't quite sure of Nate at first! He is a big guy! We had dinner with Emily and got to know her a little bit. She's a nice girl.

July 9, 2008 - A day of rest before Nate comes. I tried cleaning the house, but to no avail with Addie clinging to my side. So I finally gave in and we both took a long afternoon nap! Hopefully Nathan won't notice the not quite clean house!

July 8, 2008 - The day finally came that we had to bring Grandma to the airport. This time it was my turn to cry. I loved having her here and it was really neat to see Addie warm up to her and get to know her Grandma. It will be nice when we live closer to family so our kids can spend more time with their grandparents... just a couple more years and hopefully Aaron will be done with school! Then there is the whole "can we afford to live in the best state" factor!

July 7, 2008 - We finally spent a day at home! Grandma held Addie during her naps so she would get some sleep... I don't know who slept more though... Grandma or Addie! I was able to get a bunch of scrapbooking done and finished several pages to give to Leslee for baby Addison. They turned out pretty cute... so cute that I wished I could have kept them!

July 6, 2008 - Addie loves Primary! She sat with Grandma Nievaard in the back most of the time and jibber-jabbered away! She would make the most noise during singing time! We love having Grandma here!

July 5, 2008 - Another busy day! We loaded up the car and headed up to the Uintah Mountains to visit Aunt Betty. It took extra long to get there because we had to make a few stops along the way. We weren't exactly sure where Betty ended up camping but we found her motor home right away. Mom, Betty, Raquel, Brandon, Aleya and I went for a walk around Teapot Lake. It was pretty muddy along different parts of the trail... Brandon didn't get his shoes dirty until the very end when he walked straight into a huge puddle! Aaron and Addie were taking a nap in the car while we were out walking! We had dinner with Betty and Susan before heading home. On our way back, we stopped by the Provo River Falls. It cascades down a stack of rocks that looks like a staircase. It is really pretty. We took some pictures and were on our way again. We were home before nine o'clock in the evening but we stayed up talking until 1:00 in the morning!

July 4, 2008 - We got up early today to go with our friends Nate & Karen to watch the Freedom Festival Parade in Provo. It was packed! The news said that there were an estimated 250,000 parade watchers there! Addie did pretty well once we were out of the sun. She didn't like the loud noises from sirens or music but she really liked watching everyone pass by on the sidewalk. She was full of smiles... someone even stopped by and asked to take her picture! We went swimming when we came home... it was Addie's first time in the pool. We put on her swim diapers and her swimsuit. She looked so cute! We blew up a pool float and took her out in the water... it was a little cool so Aaron took her inside to have a bottle and a nap! We stayed home in the evening and watched a few fireworks on TV... Then we all went to bed!

July 3, 2008 - Mom and I finally made it out today to get Addie's pictures taken. Well, I didn't make an appointment because they are never busy when I walk by... but you know what happens when you think you don't need to make an appointment! Yep, we waited for a few hours to get her pictures taken. I don't know how you can possibly make an appointment for a baby because you never know what her mood will be! She was asleep by the time we got her in so waking up with a camera in her face was not her favorite thing! We did get some good pictures after all of her seriousness... we even got a shot of her little lip when she was pouting!!!

July 2, 2008 - We were going to get Addie's pictures today, but she was a little fussy so we never made it there! We did go out shopping for a little bit and it was really nice to have Grandma there with an extra set of hands to help out with Addie!

July 1, 2008 - Grandma Nievaard came today! Addie and I drove up to pick her up at the airport. Of course we had to stop by Carter's on the way to pick up a few more things to spoil Addie with. After picking up Grandma, we stopped at Raquel's house to visit them. Aleya and Addie played on the floor and held hands. Addie was so interested and watched Aleya the whole time!

June 29, 2008 - Happy 3 Month Birthday to Addelynn! She's getting big... and is wearing her 6 month clothes already!

June 23, 2008 - Addie has been sticking out her tongue all day today so she has moved on from just sucking her hands to sticking out her tongue and sucking her hands. You got it... she is adorned with a drool spot on her shirt all the way down to her belly button! I guess her bib will be a permanent attachment now!

June 22, 2008 - I was released from my calling at church today as the Education Counselor in Relief Society. That means I don't have any responsibility at church for the next week or so until the Bishop calls me in for another position to fulfill. It is a relief because I don't have to worry about hauling Addie around to meetings while Aaron is in school in the evening. Now I can enjoy my freedom while it lasts!

June 21, 2008 - I went to my friend Michelle's baby shower this morning while Aaron was helping someone move out. Then Aaron spent the afternoon volunteering at Deseret Industries collecting donations as people drove up to drop stuff off. He was hot and tired when he got home, but we still had one more thing planned for our busy day! I made pizza pasta and we headed over to the Thill's house for a BBQ... I have been a teacher for three of their kids (they have 14) so they all call me Mrs. Glass. They're not quite sure what to call Aaron! We had fun visiting their family. A bunch of other families were also there. When it started to get dark, they put on a movie in their backyard with a projector, a sheet hung up and a brand-new sound system. Just as the movie started Addie started to get really tired so it was time for us to go home so she could sleep in her crib. I was getting eaten by mosquitoes too!

June 20, 2008 - Addelynn and I met Raquel and her kids up at the mall to do a little shopping. I ended up getting Addie more clothes! I had to get her a pair of jeans... hey, she didn't have any! They also happen to be glitter jeans which will look fabulous on her cute buns! The kids were cute... Addie was fighting sleep so she got a little upset near the end. Brandon wanted to play in the play area longer so he wasn't happy when it was time to go! Aleya just slept in her stroller and smiled a lot. Aaron and I took Addie to Strawberry Days which is an annual festival complete with a rodeo right down the street from us! We decided to walk all the way to downtown P.G. and it was further than we thought! We saw a lot of friends there so it was really fun to be out and about with Addie! We didn't actually do anything there except walk around... because let's face it, Addie can't go on the rides yet... but she sure had a fun time looking at everything with her wide eyes!

June 17, 2008 - The hottest day of the year has arrived! It is 100 smokin' degrees outside which makes it the perfect day to stay inside and update the web page! Addie is taking her second long nap of the day. She does so much better when she naps in her swing or bouncer. It must feel like she is still being held. She's doing well sleeping at night still too. Once it is dark and she is in her crib, she's out for the night.

June 16, 2008 - Congratulations to Travis and Leslee on their new baby girl!!! Addison Maria was born at 9:40 am. She weighs 9 pounds 3 ounces and is 20.5 inches long... she's a big girl since she was 2 weeks overdue! Travis and Leslee are cute parents. Now they have Addy and we have Addie!

June 15, 2008 - Addelynn learned a new trick that she has been trying out all day... she sucks on her bottom lip. It seems like she is learning something new everyday! She is always so attentive on everything around her. Mommy and Addie woke up and made breakfast for Daddy this morning since it's his first Father's Day! Yeah! He doesn't get his present yet though because it still has to come in the mail... Rock Band for the WII. Lucky Daddy!!!

June 14, 2008 - Addie went on her first hike today up Battlecreek Canyon which is right next to where we live. It is a beautiful hike with a nice waterfall only 20 minutes up the trail. That's as far as we got because Addie was sleeping by then and other people that went with us were going home too. It was just long enough of a hike for Aaron too! Tonight we took Addie to her first drive-in movie... The Incredible Hulk! It was fun to be outside in such nice weather to hang out and watch a movie. We went with our friends Curtis & Veronica... and their (not so) baby Isaac. He is getting so big!

June 13, 2008 - This was the first day of a very busy weekend. We went with Greg, Raquel, Brandon and Aleya to Lagoon! It is like a miniature Disneyland... kind of. They have lots of rides and a small water park. We walked around a lot and watched Brandon go on rides. Aaron and I went on river raft ride while my cousins watched Addie. Greg, Raquel and Aaron went on a roller coaster while I stayed and watched the kids with Raquel's sister. It was a good excuse for me not to go on the ride! We had lots of fun... Aaron even played a game and won a stuffed dog for Addie!

June 11, 2008 - Addie's favorite things to do right now are... try to put both fists in her mouth at the same time, play with her hair with her left hand while sucking her right hand, and spitting, blowing, cooing, squealing or making other cute baby noises.

June 10, 2008 - I guess I spent too much time out in the sun yesterday because I woke up feeling the burn on my shoulders. I sat outside for 20 minutes two times yesterday while Addie was napping. I didn't realize that I was getting so much sun because it wasn't that warm outside. Now I have a lobster farmer's tan that crosses my shoulders and my knees!

June 9, 2008 - I got a haircut today. I had to wait for 30 minutes before it was my turn and Addie woke up right then. I was worried that she would start to get fussy but she made it through with the help of her binky and she didn't get upset until I was almost done. Hooray! Everyone had their eyes on her so she had lots of attention!

June 8, 2008 - Addie has learned how to blow raspberries! It's her new favorite trick... unfortunately she has not mastered the skill of keeping down her formula at the same time. She gets so excited and starts blowing... then it all comes out! It's still cute though! It also means that she gets to wear more of her outfits because they often get soaked down the front!

June 7, 2008 - Aaron took us out for a drive in the mountains. Originally we wanted to go on a walk up a path in the canyon. As we were leaving, some nice clouds rolled in and dropped more than a little bit of rain. So we headed up to a different canyon and drove through the Alpine Highway Loop. It takes you up and around the back side of Mount Timpanogos through American Fork Canyon. Then you leave through Provo Canyon by the ski resorts at Sundance. It was a beautiful drive even in the rain. The sun was shining on our way out but we skipped the walk because Addie and I were falling asleep. Okay, so we weren't exactly falling asleep... we were out cold!

June 6, 2008 - Addie is sitting on my lap while I type this entry... she is interested in everything we are doing. It is so cute. Here come the hiccups!

June 5, 2008 - I had to get out of the house again today. We went to my favorite scrapbook place... Archiver's. I had previously seen some paper flowers there and finally decided to get them for decoration in Addie's room. I made them during nap time today and framed a couple in some of the frames from Aaron's company. They are very cute and whimsical... just right for Addie's room.

June 4, 2008 - I made it out of the house today. We went to Walmart in the rain. One of my grocery bags fell out of the cart on my way to the car... and landed in the biggest puddle in the parking lot. Luckily everything is sealed in a nice plastic layer these days!

June 3, 2008 - Another night with the flu... I think I was even sicker than the day before. Aaron stayed home yet another day. This time he took the day off so that I could get more rest. I didn't even get up from the couch until noon. I'm really glad that Aaron was home! Addie had her 2 month doctor appointment today so that meant shots! She is growing like crazy... she now weighs 12 pounds 11 ounces and is 22 and 3/4 inches long. She is in the 90th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for height. She stared at the doctor the whole time he was in the room with a real serious look on her face. He asked if she is smiling and we told him that she does all the time at home. It was funny to see her watch him. She was really good when he examined her... then the nurse came in for shots. They gave her an oral vaccine first which Addie tried to push out with her tongue. She had a few little gags too. Addie let out a cry with the first shot. Then it progressed with more crying as they finished up the 5th and final shot. By the time they put the band aids on she was fine. I picked her up and rubbed her legs. She survived and had a really good nap after that!

June 2, 2008 - It turns out that I came down with a bad case of the stomach flu... I woke up in the middle of the night and was really sick. Aaron went to work and picked up everything he needed to work from home. He was able to take Addie when I was really sick so that helped a lot.

June 1, 2008 - Sunday... I am not feeling well today so I stayed home from church with Addie to get some rest. We didn't get as much rest as we hoped for though... there is always tomorrow.

May 31, 2008 - Addie got really spoiled today... we had a lot of things to do so Aaron and I made a day of errands with some fun stuff in between. We went to get our oil changed and tires rotated and balanced in our car. Then we stopped by the gas station to get a car wash. After that we drove up to Costco to pick up formula, diapers and baby wipes... $200 later and we continued on our way. Aaron was being a sweetheart and took me out to the Park City Outlet Mall. We went there before Addie was born (actually before we knew anything about her) but it was too hard to pick anything out because there wasn't much in the neutral section. I had fun getting her all of the pink and purple things that we both like. We found some great clearance items so we have a bunch of outfits for next summer for only $3 each. It's good to plan ahead.

May 30, 2008 - My last day of school! We had kindergarten graduation today. The kids only came for 45 minutes each. They lined up in our class and got their caps to wear. Then we walked in, sang a song, got their diplomas, sang another song and announced the kindergarten graduating class of 2008. They will graduate from high school in the year 2020. I will be 40 years old then!!! That makes me feel really old now! I said goodbye to all of my kids as they took pictures with me and Miss Johnson. After both classes came and went I was officially done with school. I had a range of mixed emotions then but I didn't cry yet. Since I had Addie with me that day, I gathered up everything and we headed off to the luncheon with all of the faculty at the Pizza Factory. It was strange for it to be my last meeting with all of my co-workers but it is good to know that I'll still get the chance to see them every now and then. It wasn't until I dropped off Lynne and Cammie at the school that I lost it and started crying. I had to call Aaron because it was pretty hard to really be done. I love being a mom and wouldn't trade it for the world, but at the same time... it is really hard to leave Bonneville because it is such an extraordinary school!

May 29, 2008 - Happy 2 Month B-day! Day two at the babysitter... Aaron got off work early so he could come home and be with Addie. He was a little bit jealous that someone else got to stay at home with our girl! I had a busy day at school trying to get everything done for the last day of school. I finally got home just in time for Aaron to grab a bite to eat before heading off to school. I took Addie up to the ward activity up in the canyon. There was pizza and outside games. We watched everyone play kickball for awhile and then headed home so we could stop by the store quickly for a few things. We were both tuckered out after such a long day. Addie and I both need our sleep it seems!

May 28, 2008 - I dropped Addie off at our friend Kristen's house. It was hard to leave her but it was good knowing she would be well taken care of while I had to work today and tomorrow. She is such a sweet baby. When I picked her up she was sleeping. It felt good to hold her and I was glad that I only had to leave her for one more day. I had church meetings tonight so I know what it feels like to rush everywhere as a working mom. I don't recommend it because I didn't have any time to sit and just play with Addie. Being able to stay at home with her is so much better for the both of us.

May 27, 2008 - A day of rest... Addie and I took it easy today so that I would be ready for school tomorrow. Hopefully it will pay off because we both have to get up early in the morning!

May 26, 2008 - Today was Grandma and Grandpa's last day to visit us. Aaron's mom helped me to make some projects. I went to Home Depot  to pick up a piece of wood so that I could make a picture board for Addie's wall. It turned into a flower clip holding board instead which looks pretty darn cute. I made all of the clips this weekend since I had so many extra hands to take care of Addie. She is going to have the cutest hair on the block. My friend Lynne came over for a little bit in the afternoon. Addie ate and slept so it was funny that Lynne didn't get to see her full cuteness. There will be many more visits for that!

May 25, 2008 - Aaron and I went to the first part of church today while Addie stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa Glass. Everyone kept asking us where she was... we had to tease  a little bit and say that we left her napping at home. Then we would say that she was with Grandma and Grandpa. Greg and Raquel came over later with Brandon and Aleya. We ate hamburgers and played Dance Dance Revolution.

May 24, 2008 - What a fun day... we woke up to our happy baby smiling in her crib. She is really getting used to sleeping through the night and we hope she stays a good sleeper. Aaron made a breakfast of eggs with Canadian bacon and toast. We went down to the movie theater and bought tickets for Indiana Jones to see later that night. We wandered around Borders and picked up a few books. Aaron got a few that his dad recommended and I found a funny cookbook on Twinkie Gourmet. We are going to try making Twinkie Sushi tomorrow! Then we went to Tucanos for lunch where they serve a great Brazilian buffet. We ate way too much but the meat is sooooo good. We even had dessert afterwards which was just a little bit too much food. Later this evening we had a babysitter lined up so we dropped Addie off at Ann's house so that we could go to the movies... Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Good movie, but I'm not good when it comes to any intensity factor so Aaron had to hold me through the whole movie. That's not a bad thing though! Addie was good for Ann too so we were happy parents although it is still hard to leave her with anyone.

May 23, 2008 - Yeah! Grandma and Grandpa Glass came today! We were so excited to show Addie off to them because we think she is so darling! Aaron came home from work early which was a great help to me because we were able to get some cleaning done so I don't have to worry about it this weekend... we even installed a new door lock so we have keyless entry now. That is so much more convenient when you have a baby in one hand and groceries in the other because you don't have to fish your keys out of your pocket! We wouldn't have been able to do all that we did in one afternoon but Aaron's parents had a very delayed plane... so we didn't get to see them until this evening. We went out to dinner at Sakura for Japanese food. Mmm mmmm good!

May 22, 2008 - By the end of the day yesterday I was so tired that I put Addie down for the night and went to bed also... at least until 4:30 in the morning! I woke up and couldn't sleep so what better time than now to get things done. I had my grades almost finished by the time Addie woke up. Then I fed her, gave her a bath, put her back to bed and... finished my grades! Then I had to rush off to school to drop off my computer. I donated some bags of stuff to Deseret Industries on the way to go out to lunch with Aaron at work. We picked him up, went to a warehouse sale for his company, and went out to some good ol' fast food at McDonalds!

May 21, 2008 - All I have to say is... GRADES! Yep, it's that time of year and of course I leave myself one day to get all of my grades figured out and put them on the computer. Needless to say it wasn't the best day for Addie who didn't sleep hardly at all today which means that I didn't get my grades done either... I have until 2:30 pm on Thursday so hopefully tomorrow morning goes better!

May 20, 2008 - Ninety degrees yesterday... FIFTY degrees today! Our weather is crazy here in Utah... we even had snow in the mountains. I can't believe that it is almost summer and we are still having such crazy weather.

May 18, 2008 - We were so excited this morning because Addie slept from 9:30 last night to 7:00 this morning! Yeah! Of course I was awake most of the early morning wondering when she would start crying for a bottle and worrying that if I fell asleep I would be too tired to wake up again when she cried. Aaron had a great night of sleep of course because he doesn't even wake up when Addie cries... that's my job! We had Stake Conference this morning so we had to get ready a lot faster than usually because we had to be at church by 9:30 am instead of 1:00 pm. It was actually a lot easier and it was nice to have such a long afternoon at home after that. We had to let a few people hold Addie at church and our friend Gina fed her a bottle. Addie soaked up all of the attention and fell asleep the rest of the time over my shoulder or in Aaron's arms. She used to love sleeping cradled in your arm over your lap but now she likes curling up with her head over your shoulder. She is one cuddly baby! She is communicating a lot more now that she realized we respond to her coos and expressions. The other day she was lifting up her shoulders and cooing at the same time. I would smile and laugh... then she would smile back at me and do it all over again. The next day she put on her biggest pouty face with her lip sticking out as far as it can go. I laughed at this of course because she is such a dramatic girl sometimes. She smiled and did it again over and over. What a funny girl. Just yesterday, Aaron was sitting on the couch with Addie laying next to him. She started cooing at him and when he looked at her she would stop. She is so adorable. She is doing the funniest things now to get attention. We respond like doting parents and I'm sure that she is going to be just a little bit spoiled!

May 17, 2008 - Addie is growing like crazy. We went to Aaron's softball game last night and we had to adjust her car seat head support and shoulder straps to get her in. I'm not sure how long this car seat will last at the rate of growth she is in. We were looking at how long she seems to be getting. Her socks used to go almost to her knees and now she has a couple of inches of skin. Her little thighs are getting some chunky little rolls and both sets of cheeks are getting chubby! Her feet and hands seem small now that she is filling out in the rest of her body. We are wondering what she will be like when she grows up. I think she will probably be tall and thin with the way her features are right now. I love her to pieces!

May 16, 2008 - I kind of went all-out on making hair clips this week. A friend showed me how to make them and of course we had to have an assortment of hair clips to choose from to match every outfit she has... so I pulled out all of my scrapbook stuff and went to town putting together flowers with brads in the middle and attaching them to hair clips covered with ribbons. I like to put a couple of little ponytails in her hair and slide the hair clips right in front of them. It is so darling, but I think everything about Addelynn is just adorable!

May 15, 2008 - It was inevitable... that I would fall behind in writing on our web page. At least I am more current than Aaron though! Addelynn is smiling like crazy now... if she is in a good mood (i.e. diaper is changed and tummy is full) she will smile again and again at you. It's so cute!

May 8, 2008 - Addie had 2 baths today... one time in the morning because it was bath day and one time in the evening because she spit up all over everything. Amazingly enough none of it got on my clothes. Poor baby girl... she had an upset tummy but was ready to eat again after a nice full diaper! She was much happier then. We went to visit Raquel, Aleya and Brandon today. Brandon was so sweet with Addie. He kept laying on the floor with her showing his toys or kissing her hand. He must be the best big brother to Aleya... who by the way is such a sweetie. She is such a good baby. She is so much smaller than Addie! Aleya is getting chubby cheeks though so she still has a chance of catching up to Addie in weight... but it's not likely to happen this summer!

May 6, 2008 - So today Addie is sleeping like a baby... as she usually does. I have no idea what happened yesterday but today is so much better for her. We are back into her regular routine of eat, play and sleep!

May 5, 2008 - What a day... I guess all that sleeping has its drawbacks when the next day is followed by lots of crying and no sleep at all. Addie was the fussiest she has ever been - which still isn't that bad at all, but when she is usually such a good baby it is hard to see her cry and get so upset. She would suddenly lean forward and just scream out crying. I thought it might be her tummy hurting or something, but she ate and pooped really well. It may be that growth spurt she is going through... she is filling up her 3 month clothes now. Some of her sleepers are getting stretched to their limits! She is going to be a big girl.

May 4, 2008 - Addie is a sleeping machine... she must be growing again. I tried her headband on her that was too big last week - and it fits! She looks darling it it too! Addie went to sleep last night after eating around 7:00 pm. She didn't wake up until 3:00 in the morning when Aaron couldn't stand it any longer and he had to go and pick her up. Next time I said that we could go ahead and let her sleep through the night. I am just fine with letting her learn good sleep habits. This morning she was up just long enough to eat, play and take a bath. She has been sleeping ever since. We'll have to wake her up so that we can go to church! That means we will be feeding her in Sacrament Meeting at church on a Fast Sunday!

May 3, 2008 - My friend Kim had a birthday party today at a park up in Salt Lake City. Aaron, Addie and I packed up and headed on our way. We realized when we were in the general vacinity that we didn't have the whole address. Luckily I had another friend's phone number and we were finally able to locate the park. It was supposed to be a sunny and warm day, but we were in the pavillion at the top of the hill where is was windy and cool to say the least. I ended up wrapping Addie up in a blanket and holding her the whole time so she would stay warm! We went to a small outlet mall on the way home and picked up a few things on clearance for when Addie gets bigger. We probably won't ever go back to that outlet because half of the stores were empty... the only thing we will probably get there in the future is a dress for when Addie gets blessed.

May 2, 2008 - I went to school today so that we could get some reading tests done in class. I still have to go back to school to get things done until the end of the year because it is so busy with grades and testing. My friend Dorothy took care of Addie while I was in class. She enjoyed every minute of it... Addie that is, because she was just a little spoiled! So... Dorothy mentioned that she couldn't get the car seat out of her van and we went to take a look. Half an hour or so later we were finally able to free the car seat from its stuck position and we were on our way to do errands. Aaron went to his softball game tonight while Addie and I took nice long naps.

May 1, 2008 - If April showers bring May flowers... what does April SNOW bring? Yes, it snowed last night right before May! I couldn't believe it. We have been waiting for that nice spring weather to come but it snowed once again making it seem like the longest winter ever! ...Addie is starting to rub her eyes when she is tired!

April 28, 2008 - Addie slept from 8:30 last night until 2:30 this morning! We should have gone to bed when she did because we would have had a lot more sleep than we thought! She is smiling more and more now. Sometimes they look kind of funny!

April 27, 2008 - Happy Birthday to me! Thank you to everyone for sending me such nice gifts. I feel kind of funny getting stuff for my birthday now that I have a baby. I always devote everything to her so I didn't really think about making plans for my birthday. I went to a meeting at church in the morning and afterwards my friend Karen brought over a cake for me. She is a dear friend who is always thinking of others around her. I'm lucky to have such a good friend. We went to church. Addie slept most of the time but opened her eyes and everyone was so excited to see her. After church we packed some snacks and went for a walk on the Provo River Trail up the canyon. We sat at a park for awhile and pulled out our books to read. I couldn't take my eyes off Addie so I didn't read very much! For my birthday, Aaron let me get a rocking chair for Addie's bedroom. It is a big, cushy chair that rocks. We love it!

April 26, 2008 - I had to take the Praxis II test to renew my teaching license and keep my certificate current in the state of Utah. I was nervous about going up to Ogden alone because I'm not familiar with the area so Aaron, Addelynn and I made an outing out of it... We packed everything that we would need for the day and drove over an hour to get there. We had lunch on the way and Aaron wished me luck while he and Addie went for a walk around the campus. He had to feed her and change a dirty diaper while I took my test consisting of 24 multiple choice questions and 12 essay questions. I took almost the whole 2 hours allotted for the test with only 2 minutes to check my work at the end. I had a cramp in my elbow and wrist from writing so much! I'm just glad it's over... but I have to wait for my results which won't be here until the end of May. I met Aaron back at the car after the test and we went back down to Utah Valley, stopping at Tai Pan Trading on the way home. Then we met our friends at a Japanese restaurant called Sakura for dinner. Addie had the biggest eyes I have ever seen. It was pretty neat to see them cook everything in front of you and of course they perform cooking tricks as well like juggling an egg on a spatula. We came home and Addie guzzled down her milk before going to bed. She is sleeping better and better now.

April 25, 2008 - Aaron was sweet enough to let me sleep the whole night so that I could have enough rest for my test on Saturday. I still had to wake him up when Addie started crying for a bottle though! I had a super night of sleep!!!

April 24, 2008 - What a great day! Addie decided to have a couple of long naps already. She is eating a whole 5 ounces now each time we feed her. I think she has decided to grow some more! After all she is almost a month old now.

April 23, 2008 - Addie has 6 dimples... 2 on her cheeks, 2 on her elbows, and 2 on her knees. That must mean that she is growing. Her feet are still so skinny though that her cute socks fall off. She has long, skinny fingers too. I am working on baby announcements finally. The easy part was making the announcements which were done when she was only a week old. The hard part is getting everyone's current mailing addresses to send them out. Then there is little Addie who just likes to be held right when Mommy starts a project! We have learned how to hold her while I type on the computer so that is fun now. Addelynn's newest trick is holding her pacifier in her mouth. She puts her hand right over the top of it like she is not going to let her pacifier go for anything. She is also starting to experiment with her smiles more now... the other day I was holding her and she gave the biggest smile that Aaron and I both got to see. She's going to be a heartbreaker with those little dimples in her cheeks. We are waiting to get a good picture of her smiling but that will have to wait for when they are more frequent.

April 22, 2008 - I have officially resigned from teaching as of today. I went to the school to sign the paperwork. It was a sad but sweet experience because Addelynn is so worth it. It has been the most wonderful three weeks with her even without sleeping much. She is truly ours and I wouldn't trade anything for her. All of my friends that came into the office at school wanted to hold Addie. Everyone says that she is a doll. It is really hard to leave my friends at work. I have been at the school for four years so I have some great friends who are like family to me. We'll be visiting often though because Addie is growing so fast. We have to show off all of her cute outfits from everyone after all. Addie has been awake almost the whole day today. She took three 2 hour naps so hopefully she will stay on the sleeping at night mode so I can sleep more too!

April 21, 2008 - Aaron came home for lunch to be with his girls... really to spend time holding Addie of course!

April 20, 2008 - Addie is 3 weeks old! It has already been quite a busy weekend! We went to Aaron's softball game on Friday night. Addie was really good. It was fun to do something as a family. Unfortunately for Aaron, the game wasn't their biggest success. You might say that it was for the other team, but we won't even mention the score! On Saturday, Addie and I ran errands while Aaron started up his saxophone quartet again after a few needed weeks off. Addie seemed quite surprised to hear such loud music when we got home as evident by the biggest eyes I have seen her show off yet! Saturday evening we went to dinner at our friends' house Lisa & Brent Frost. Our good friends Mandi and Blake Taylor were there as well. We enjoyed a succulent meal with the best steak I have ever had from the BBQ. We even had dessert pizza to top it all off. We played some games and ended up staying way past our bedtimes, but it was well worth it to get out and have some fun. Addie was pretty good after having not slept most of the day. We got home, fed her at 11:00 pm and she didn't wake up to eat until 5:00 am Sunday morning. We were happy to have such a content little girl. I got up to feed her, changed her really soaked diaper, and put her to bed again. She is falling asleep right now and that means that I get to go back to bed! It is Sunday morning after all and we don't have church until 1:00 this afternoon.

April 18, 2008 - Addie is getting back to her usual routine. She is sleeping and eating in her normal four hour schedule. We are hoping that she will start sleeping through the night sometime in the next month but that will depend on what her tummy says! If she is really hungry she will grab onto her hand and suck away at it. Every once in a while she will get a finger perfectly situated inside that little mouth of hers. We are glad that she is able to sooth herself, but at the same time we don't want to have to deal with thumb sucking later on in her life like I did... So we give her a pacifier whenever she gets that urge to suck her hand! She spits it out when she is done which I think is the cutest part although sucking her finger is really cute too. When I gave Addie a bath today she almost fell asleep when I wrapped her up in a towel. Usually she is wide awake for 2 hours or so in the morning but today was an exception and she was ready for a nap right away. I got her dressed, combed her hair, wrapped her up in a blanket and she was out for the next few hours! Yeah for Mommy because I was able to update this web page!

April 17, 2008 - I have been quite busy trying to organize all of Addie's stuff. It has taken a couple of weeks just to get all of her things put into the dresser and closet. We got our bookcase and rocking chair that we ordered so that is my next big step... trying to fit my huge collection of picture books onto one 36" wide bookcase. The delivery guys had quite a time getting the bookcase in the room yesterday because it is really tall, but they managed to do it without having to move any other furniture. It is nice to have all of her things in one room. Now we wish we had a garage though so we would have a place to fit all of our camping gear and household tools conveniently. Every time we open our storage door we have to unload a pile of stuff in front of the shelf! A house with a garage is on our wish list before we adopt another baby someday.

April 13, 2008 - We decided to try and go to church today. Addie had a restful morning along with Aaron! They both slept in while I got everything ready for church. Addie was just fine until about 20 minutes before it was time to go to church. Then she had an upset tummy and cried and cried! We thought maybe we wouldn't make it to church after all when she suddenly stopped crying and felt better. We finished getting ready and made it to church just as they were starting. She looked cute in her little peach dress. It is a newborn size though and it was really hard to button the top button because her neck is getting chubby! We got lots of ooohs and aaahs again from people that hadn't seen her yet. We sat by our friends and mostly just watched Addie... I'm not sure that I paid that much attention to what was said but at least we made it there!

April 12, 2008 - Addie is 2 weeks old today! We had another baby shower. My friend Megan Martin put on a shower so I could invite all of my friends from church. Addie was spoiled again with cute clothes and very necessary diapers! We love the Diaper Genie II and the Boppy Pillow! Aaron had to get used to the idea of using both of these things, but now I catch him using the pillow with a look of relief on his face when he rests his arm down! Addie slept through this baby shower too... I have decided that if she is ever fussy that I will have to take her to a crowded, noisy place. I guess that is the key to her complete relaxation because there was no way to wake her from the sound slumber she was in! Tons of people came to and from the shower since it was an Open House Style. Even my old college friends Liz and Michelle were there! It was so good to see them... Liz has a little girl and Michelle is pregnant with a boy due this summer.

April 10, 2008 - Grandma had to fly home today so we hung around the house missing her. We send her lots of hugs, kisses and little grunts.

Raquel had a baby shower tonight with the Colorado (now Utah) cousins. Aaron kept Brandon entertained and out of the cookies! Some people were surprised to see two little girls at the party so they had to point out whose baby belonged to who. Everyone wanted to hold the cute girls so they did get passed around a little bit. Addie was actually awake for the first part of the evening but she got comfortable and fell asleep. Our cousins also got gifts for us. That was really nice of them so now Addie and Aleya have some cute matching outfits. We are planning on dressing them the same when we go out to the zoo and other places together!

April 9, 2008 - Grandma Nievaard babysat this evening while Aaron and I went out shopping for a rocking chair... my back is pretty tired after holding her all the time! We didn't find anything though, but we did discover that gliders aren't all they're cracked up to be. The floor models were all loose so they not only rocked forward and back, but also side to side! We came home with just a few necessities from our new favorite store Babies R Us. We brought dinner home from Costa Vida which we enjoyed fully right down to the flan. Of course Addie slept the whole time we were gone so Grandma was just a little bored!

April 8, 2008 - What a busy day. Addie had her first doctor appointment today. She slept through almost the whole thing. She must have been comfortable in just a diaper and a blanket! It was good to have Grandma there to help me out for our first outing together. The doctor checked her out and said that she is an overachiever since she gained so much weight over the last 10 days! She now weighs 8 pounds 5 ounces but is still the same length. I guess we can expect a growth spurt really soon here.

We also had a baby shower put on by Dorothy from school so we took a break after the doctor visit to hang out at home. The shower was right after school. Everyone oohed and aahed at Addie of course. She acted really cute and slept through the whole thing. She was really spoiled with gifts! She got so many things... we'll have to change her clothes a few times a day just to have her wear her outfits! She is getting used to her new Boppy Bouncer. She'll sit in it for about 10 minutes before she decides that she would rather be picked up and held!

April 7, 2008 - Grandma Nievaard came to visit today! I was so excited because I could count on Mom to help me with Addie. I was able to get some chores done while Grandma soaked up all of Addie's little grunts and coos. Addie showed off all of her cuteness including that little smile she gives just after falling asleep. Then there's that laugh with a big smile just after that. If her laugh wakes her up then she starts the sleep process all over and you get to see another little smile.

April 5, 2008 - Addie is one week old! She is a good baby. She lets us know when she is hungry! She has a pretty tight schedule when it comes to eating because she will cry pretty loudly if we are just a few minutes late. We started feeding her 2 ounces of formula when we brought her home. The very next day she wasn't too happy when those 2 ounces were gone so we moved her up to 3 ounces. Well, it didn't take long after that for her to decide that her stomach could handle a little bit more than that. By the end of the week she was eating a good 4 ounces every four hours. She is getting heavier too!

Josie, Bobby, Nick and Amber came to visit this weekend. Addelynn loved all of the attention that she got. It took a few days after that to get her used to sleeping in her crib again and not being held all the time! It was fun to see Josie and family, but the weekend went by too quickly. Josie and I didn't even have any time to scrapbook!

March 31, 2008 - We made it through our first night with Addie! She knows when she is hungry and really lets us know. We haven't missed a feeding since then. We have had to start feeding her more though because she is always getting hungry!

March 30, 2008 - We woke up to a couple of inches of snow so we grabbed warmer clothes and an extra blanket for Addie before leaving for the hospital this morning to pick her up. We had to wait for them to do the hearing test, give us discharge instructions, and fill out our final paperwork for adoption. We got her dressed while she cried up a storm. She wasn't too happy with having to go in the car seat either until we were moving in the car. Then she fell sound asleep so we took pictures of course. We came home and all fell asleep that afternoon!

March 29, 2008 - Aaron never made it to bed last night because he answered the phone at 1:30 am and we got ready to go... We got to Mountainview Hospital in Payson at 2:30 am and our little Addelynn was born at 3:33 am! She weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. We didn't get to see her right away because she had her assessment and was then put on oxygen for three hours. We finally held her at 6:30 am but only for 30 minutes because she had to be checked again to see how she was doing. She was so sweet from the start! We stayed at the hospital most of the day holding her and trying to feed her. She wasn't interested in eating until 6:30 that night just before we were leaving to go home for the night. From then on she insisted on eating right on schedule!

March 28, 2008 - I hardly slept last night because I was so nervous about the mom having the baby on the plane. It was pretty much a joke being at work because I was anxious about everything. I found out halfway through the day that the mom was having contractions while on a layover in Texas, but she was fine and planned on continuing to Utah. I was so relieved when the call came that she was in Utah safe and not in full labor! We kept in touch with the agency all that evening to see when the baby was born. We got a call around 11:00 saying that they were on the way to the hospital and would let us know when she was closer to delivery.

March 27, 2008 - The plans have changed... Our director called us today and said the birth mom was flying out to Utah on Friday instead. I was shocked that she could come on an airplane when she was overdue! This worked out so much better for us though because we would have our baby in only 24 hours instead of having to wait 3 days back in Mississippi.

We had our home study appointment this evening. The case worker was here for about two hours. She asked about a million questions... but it was fun and exciting at the same time. I wasn't nervous until it was at the end of the appointment and we were showing our home for inspection. Then I got butterflies as the realization that this was really happening hit me. We had been in such a whirlwind of events and the home study was the last thing we had to complete so I think everything just finally settled in.

March 26, 2008 - Aaron and I both went to our jobs and worked out the details of what would happen if we decided to adopt... because we would have to fly out to Mississippi for up to two weeks while paperwork went through. We made a decision to go ahead and go through with the adoption so we called our agency and set everything up. Tonight we had to put together our profile pages as well as a letter about ourselves to the birth mother. I was exhausted by that point so Aaron stayed up to finish everything.

March 25, 2008 - Aaron called me after school today to let me know that we had an appointment set to meet with our Adoption Agency Director to talk about possibly adopting a baby in the next week. Since we weren't planning on adopting until June, we had a big decision to make... including what I would do with work from now until the end of the year.

December 31, 2007 - New Year's Eve! We had our friends Chris & Gina come over to our house for dinner and games. We had curry with rice along with a salad and the most amazing cookie & ice cream dessert. Our friends brought the salad and dessert of course! We played a couple of our new games "Finish Lines" and "Visualize." I highly recommend both of them. Chris & Gina brought a game called "Bananagrams." It is like Scrabble but without the board and you compete against each other. It is really tricky at first and the game gets even better when you near the end. It is definitely a game on our wish list. We also tested our skills on the WII with bowling and a game called "Big Brain Academy." I bowled with a score of 160... a new record though it would never happen in real life! Aaron dominated in the other game because he has played it a few times already. We yawned our way to the new year and turned the TV on to see the ball drop in NYC. We had some pear juice and said, "Happy New Year" before saying our goodbyes and going straight to bed!

December 30, 2007 - Welcome to our new and improved web page! This year we have obviously changed the look... an ode to Wendy's favorite hobby and Aaron's new employment - No Aaron is not a scrap-booker, rather he is fortunate to have a great job as a Senior Accountant in the scrapbook supply industry. This is also a nice bonus for me when he brings home my favorite products! I am thoroughly enjoying his Christmas gift of 20 lbs. of scrapbook paper and stuff. Our house is also a lot cuter now with the home decorating side of the company contributing to our household as well (again my favorite styles). This is the best job Aaron could have! Ha ha!

December 29, 2007 - Aaron and I went to the mall today to spend our Christmas gift cards. We had a very good Christmas at both of our homes and didn't need a thing, but it was fun to look around and get some things we wouldn't normally get. I actually bought a purse! Yes, I know... it is really amazing. It's even a real purse with leather handles and everything. Heidi would be proud! I also got the Michael Buble Christmas CD. I can never leave the mall without some lotion from Bath and Body works either! Aaron got a comic book by Orson Scott Card called "Red Prophet." He also got guitar strings and traded in some old Xbox games for the three "Lord of the Rings" movies. We really went to the mall in the first place to get my wedding ring inspected and cleaned to keep up the lifetime warranty. We ended up staying quite a bit longer than planned because someone else picked up our paperwork along with theirs. We decided to have lunch so we ate at Red Robin. Aaron had the seafood pasta while I had a chicken quesadilla. We split some onion rings and ended up taking a couple of boxes home with us. We never did get our paperwork back, but they assured us that our guarantee was okay. They called several hours later saying that the paperwork was finally brought back in to the store. Hooray! I didn't really need that stress in the first place though. Such is life. We came home, took stuff to Deseret Industries for donation, and finally picked up some groceries! Now we have real food again... but we did forget the eggs! We watched the first "Lord of the Rings" movie and that was enough for me for awhile though Aaron is ready to see the next one. I think we're too busy to watch it though! I'll come up with something. Ha ha!

December 28, 2007 - We got back from our vacation very late at night the day after Christmas. Luckily, Aaron drove the whole way home as I was sleepy and grumpy. We had weather related delays going to Washington and coming home - both due to the incredible amounts of Utah snow we have been having lately. I have never seen so much snow this early in the season before. We have had snow on the ground for nearly a month now with varying amounts melting and accumulating. I'm happy though since winter is my favorite season. Monday is supposed to be incredibly cold though... -2 degrees F with a high in the mid 20's. We'll have to break out the scarf and gloves now to go outside!

December 26, 2007 - Our last day of vacation at home! My mom took us to the Great Wall Mall to look around. We were able to relive our Japanese days by looking around the grocery store and picking out our favorite foods. Washington has a lot better selection than Utah obviously. We loaded up our suitcases with our favorite goodies to bring back with us. We also got steamed pork buns to eat on our way to the cemetery. It was my first time out there since Dad's funeral. It is such a beautiful cemetery. We drove around the long loop so that we could see everything again. We visited the wall and I was able to see the engraved stone memorial. It is really nice and I hope my whole family can see it too. My mom cried of course. It makes me sad to see her hurting. I still get angry with my dad sometimes but mostly I am frustrated with what Mom has to deal with.

December 25, 2007 - Christmas Day! We slept in at Aaron's house and had a lazy Christmas morning. Mom and Nate came over just before lunch. When the extended family arrived, we opened presents with Aaron's side of the family. Aaron's mom made a nice dinner (lunch). We showed Nate the new Rock Band game that Aaron's dad got. It is really fun and I like playing the drums the most. Aaron has been trying to teach me how to play, but I usually get impatient with my imperfection and quit trying. The game is more fun though and it grabs my attention. Aaron hopes to have me become a drummer for his music hobby someday!

December 24, 2007 - Christmas Eve! I spent the morning finishing up gifts that I was making for the family. I made stationary sets for all of the girls. Mom and I went to a few grocery stores only to come home without the very thing we went out to get. Nate was kind enough to run down to the market and get the Jell-O for the salad Mom was making. I don't know how the Jell-O was missed when the checker was ringing up the items, but everything worked out in the end thanks to Nate! We had a nice dinner with my extended family. Grandpa got a few extra goodies with everyone keeping Grandma occupied. He has a special way of cupping his hand just right to hide cookies. Grandma knows though so you can bet that Grandpa won't be sneaking any treats at his house anytime soon! We opened gifts with our family. I think the best thing was the baby clothes and stuff that Mom got both Leslee and I. I am so excited to finally welcome a baby to our family. It is pretty ironic that Leslee is pregnant at the same time and due the same month that we plan to adopt. I guess it all comes down to sibling rivalry like when Travis and Leslee got married the week before us!

December 23, 2007 - We went to church with Mom and Nathan. Mom got teased a little bit about me having to be there to get her to go to the classes! We went to Travis and Leslee's house for dinner in the evening. Their house is really cute with a nice sized backyard. They have it decorated really well and there is just enough space for their growing family! Leslee is a great cook. We had potatoes, meat and veggies. I sat at the kiddie table with Mom and Nathan. Travis made sure to get pictures of that! Later we talked and filled ourselves with too many sweets of course. Then we sang Christmas songs with the karaoke on their TV. It was pretty fun especially when Grandpa began singing. We did tease Grandma when we started naming trivia that was being displayed on the TV. She thought we were making it up until everyone started pitching in ideas and she finally realized that we were reading it from the TV. We all laughed so much that it hurt. Grandma is a good sport though we probably shouldn't tease too much!