Sleep Training

Yesterday we started "sleep training"; putting baby to sleep drowsy, but awake to teach them to fall asleep on their own.  Before yesterday, I would rock Addison to sleep at night and for her naps.  She loved it, I loved it, and it was easy...10 minutes tops.  When we got back to Chicago something changed.  She did not like being rocked, she couldn't get comfortable enough in my arms to fall asleep, she cried for 10-30 minutes and then fell asleep.  We were waiting until the 6 month mark to start sleep training, but she was making it apparent that she was ready!  So far so good too!  She talks and whines a little then falls asleep within 10 minutes!  Amazing!  I still rock her during the day and read to her : )

Otherwise here is what we have been up to:

Mealtime, in her new highchair!  Her current favorites are brown rice and banacado (banana and avocado mixed).

Sitting up to play!  She is playing with her shape sorter and of course her giraffe.

And the dreaded, tummy time!  She is starting to like it more and more.

Drew started school on Monday.  He has class Monday-Wednesday...pretty nice schedule!

Head Phones!

A few nights ago Andrew and I watched a movie (from beginning to end without stopping!) for the first time since Addison arrived!

The thing is we live in a studio, well technically its called a studio convertible.

Here is the floorplan:

 

Addison's room is the brown area.  Notice there are no doors, just a wall separator.  Our "room" is in the orange area, which we share with the office and dinning area too : )

When Addison naps, which she normally does about 3 times a day, or sleeps at night we have to be quiet.  We have a sound machine, but we still have to be quiet.  Because we don't turn the TV on when she is awake, we haven't been able to watch TV or movies at all ... UNTIL NOW!  We got head phones for the TV!  Duh, why didn't we think of this before?

Sitting Up

Addison's current record for sitting up by herself is 60 secs!  Then, she typically reaches too far for a toy, falls, and spends some time on her tummy. 

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Barber for the penguin toy!

Love the side smirk!

Sitting up with Clyde!

"Petting" Lou Lou

Almost all unpacked!  Filled up a small storage unit in our building with outgrown baby stuff.  Wow.

ps, Happy Birthday Chandra!

106 days

106 days we were gone!  We are now home in Chicago.  It's funny how many meanings the word "home" has had this summer!  First there was the apartment in Coral Gables that we stayed in for the month of May (until the bugs scared us out!). Then there was the apartment in Brickell that we stayed at in June and July.  Then there was the Ritter's home and the Ranke's home in August.  We had an amazing and busy summer!

I have a lot of catching up to do ... this will be a LONG post!

Andrew spent a few weeks in Ghana on a school trip. 

He went on a Canopy Walk in the jungle, 150 feet up!

He went to a slave castle on Cape Coast.

He went to a school.

He went to the Supreme Court building.

"They really do carry things on their heads!"

Drew flew from Ghana to Amsterdam where he spent 14 hours and his 27th birthday, then to Atlanta where he had to spend the night, and then to Fort Myers.

On Friday we got to relax for a few hours before we had to pack up to leave.

  Drew took Addison swimming!

Addison and I had fun while Drew was gone.  Grammy and I took Addison shopping and swimming.  We went to visit Grandpa at work and we walked around to meet everyone.  We went to Grandpa and Grandma Barber's house to visit.  We went to Great Grandma Crooks' house to visit. 

Addison and I flew home; her first airplane ride.  I wanted to see if Grammy could come to the gate with us for some extra help, but United did not allow it.  Only if there are two or more kids.  Going through security was not easy, but there was a very helpful TSA guy!  Addison fell asleep once we were on the plane, but woke up about 15 minutes in holding her ears.  I fed her and she was content.  We played for a little while and then I felt her poop.  We went to the bathroom (there was a changing table) and she not only pooped...she exploded!  It was everywhere!  Came out of her diaper and onto her pants!  While in the bathroom we felt some turbulence and sure enough the flight attendant came on the speaker announcing that the seat belt light was back on.  Meanwhile Addison and I were bouncing around with a very poopy mess.  Got her cleaned up and sat back down.  She fell asleep until the last 15 minutes of the flight.  No crying or screaming though.  Whew.

Got into a cab and I fed Addison some apples.  It was storming out.  We pulled up to our building and he said he needed to restart his card machine due to the storm.  Gave him my card....it declined.  He was upset that I didn't have cash.  Gave him my debit card...it declined.  So I called my bank.  They said there was no fraud protection issue and no reason why it shouldn't work.  The cab driver was very upset at this point and he drove me to a bank.  I got out, took Addi in the carseat, in the storm.  He said "leave your baby here, it's storming!" and I said "I'm taking my baby!".  AHH.  Got cash.  Went back in the cab, told him it was his machine!  UGH.  Got home and cried!  That was too much!

So glad to be home!  Drew got home Sunday at 5:45 pm.  We have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do though!  The weather here is awesome...today it was 76 degrees and sunny!

Growing

Addison no longer fits into her 3 month clothes and we have moved on to her 6 month clothes!  Luckily we only have 8 more days here in FL because I didn't bring her 6 month clothes!  We do have a few that we got this summer though.

Picture with her new purse from Grandma and Grandpa Barber

Grammy and PoppyTart got her this toy which has made meal time a lot easier!  She entertains us while we eat!

Chandra and Cooper had this toy at their house and Addison seemed to like it so we got her one yesterday!

Drew was in Cape Coast yesterday visiting a slave castle.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Coast_Castle



It's raining, it's pouring

Wow, it has been raining so much here!  I miss my walks with Addison!

We had a busy few days and now we will have a calm few days because Mom went to NY.

Last Friday we saw the Edin family:

Addison and I said goodbye to Andrew on Saturday.  We have been able to chat using Skype which has been nice!  He is having fun, glad to see some of his friends, but feeling sick and hungry. 

On Sunday morning, we drove to New Port Richey to visit my old roommates and their babies!  It was a wonderful day!  Crazy and exhausting, but so wonderful!  I love all those girls and babies as if they were my family. 

On Tuesday, we went to visit Dad at his office.  We brought Addison around to meet everyone!  Excited to spend the day with him and Kim on Saturday!

Today, it's raining, it's pouring and we are having a nice, calm day!  

5 months old!

Addison is now 5 months old!  She is reaching for everything now!

Drew finished his internship and accepted an offer to work there once he graduates!  I am so proud of how hard he worked this summer!  We are not sure exactly when he will start yet, but think it will be around October 2012.

We said goodbye to Brickell and drove to Naples to visit the Ritter family.  Pretty soon everyone will go off to school again: Drew to Northwestern, Austin to UCF, and now Stephen to Elmhurst College.  It's so funny to see the boys all together!  This time they played basketball in the foyer.

Now we are at Grammy and PoppyTart's house and will stay here until we go home on August 20th.  On Saturday, Drew will fly to Atlanta, then to Ghana for two weeks!  He is meeting 15 of his peers for a school trip.  We will miss him very much, but I know he will have an incredible experience!  On Sunday, I will get to see all my college roommates and their babies!  Chandra and Cooper, Erin and Molli, Allison and Judah, and Liz and Elijah!  I am so excited!

Today is Leighton's 2nd Birthday, Leigha and Jayme's little boy, and we are going over to their new home to celebrate!