Big Helper

Dave recently took a trip to Rwanda. This picture is taken while he was on a road trip to Uganda. The hills in the background are terraced for growing crops. I'll let him blog in detail about the trip later. My goal while he was away was to night wean Addie. Dave tends to be the softie when she's crying in the middle of the night. I am happy to report that we are on day 4 of her sleeping through the night! WHOOHOO! I was also relieved that it was a relatively painless process with only 1 or 2 rough nights, which were only rough because of frequent wake-ups and not long stretches of crying. I think Adelaide was as ready as I was to have her sleep through the night.
On occasion, Adelaide has taken a paper towel or tissue and begun to clean the floor (much to my amusement). Of course, this behavior is encouraged. To further her love of cleaning, one day I made a sink full of beautiful, warm bubbles and invited her to do the dishes with me. The idea worked well for about 15 minutes. In the end, she was in tears as she was soaked with now cold water as I rushed to rinse dishes before I abandoned the sink to tend to her. It was fun while it lasted.
No longer is riding in the shopping cart enough fun. Helping is the way to go. She was happy as a lark pushing that shopping cart with me. That is until she saw 2 boys riding in the plastic car attached to the shopping cart.

Aunt Jamie came and stayed with us for about a month. She was a huge help and I was so thankful for her presence when Dave was away. A. Jamie learned how to play the guitar over the summer. Adelaide LOVED the guitar. I am pretty sure she now calls A. Jamie guitar. Anyway, Addie loves music and has started to dance, which is hilarious! Enjoy.

Happy Halloween

Memphis layover

Conversation with Addie

Outdoor fun with Dad

Bonus Picture:

Dave's first attempt at pig tails.

New Pics.

Here's a glimpse of our busy little girl over the past couple weeks.

And just in case you thought she was always darling and cute.

Birthday festivities

It is the end of August. Wow. My apologizes for the tardiness to document Adelaide's first birthday.

We had Grammie from TX in town to help celebrate on her actual birthday, along with some of our friends here in town. I attempted to bake a cake that is usually delicious. Let's just say that there was a LOT of frosting in the middle of the cake and Addie preferred the fresh blueberries over the cake.

The next week we headed to A. Jan and U. Bill's cabin and had a lovely vacation with the Bell family. Grandpa Bell made Adelaide a wooden shape sorter that she simply loves to play with. She needs a little bit of help to get the shapes into the right holes but she's thoroughly enjoys pushing the shapes through.

We had a great week playing with kayaks, canoes, wind surfers, and four wheelers. Addie had some trouble sleeping, which seems to be a common theme for our travels. But all in all we had a really fun time and ended up with a quick trip to Unionville to see family before heading home.

Adelaide checked in with Dr. Taylor a few days after her birthday. She weighed in a 18 lb 10 oz and was 29 in tall. *Sigh* That means that she will stay turned around in the car for a while longer. The good news is that she has continued to impress Dr. Taylor with her developmental progress and overall delightful character.

Addie has indeed started showing more of her personality. She likes to talk with her hands, flicking her wrists to make her point. We received a bag of clothes and in them were a pair of pink flowered sandals. Since Addie discovered these sandals, she has insisted on wearing them. She will locate them in the house, bring them to us, and continue to thrust them in our direction until we put them on her feet. She will then clomp around the house as happy as a lark, blissfully choosing to ignore the fact that she trips twice as much with them on her feet. In the mornings as I am getting ready for the day, Addie will sit on the toilet seat (closed) and mimic my morning routine until I am done and we leave the bathroom. My favorite, although it's perhaps the most negative, is the times when she is tired, or hungry, or just needing something more from us and the situation does not lend to immediate attention, Addie will lean up against walls or door frames, throw her arm over her face and cry or melt into a puddle and at our urging stand up and move to where we are directing her and then melt again. I can't help but chuckle as I scoop her up to comfort her and wonder if she got her dramatic tendencies from her dear Aunt Jamie.

Summer

We've had quite a mild summer so far. Adelaide has still gotten to splash around in her pool several times. She loves being outdoors, although she isn't too wild about the grass between her toes. We've been taking lots of walks and spent quite a bit of time in the hammock.

Adelaide seems to have gotten several words down. Dada, mama, ball, balloon, and dog are all distinct sounds that she uses appropriately, although not exclusively. :) Our neighbor Bill would also argue that she's mastered "Bill", but I have yet to hear it.

Adelaide is curious about our garden and munches enthusiastically on the sugar snap peas. In the kitchen, she has taken to pulling food out of the cabinets and bringing them to us so she can try them. Most of the time we let her discover the new tastes and textures but I'm thinking that I'll have to put another lock on one of the cabinets and put some of the goodies in there that I don't want her having on a regular basis.

This weekend we are flying to MN to visit with Dave's friends from high school. We are really looking forward to seeing them and spending time at a cabin on a lake. We are anticipating that Adelaide will have a great time since there are probably close to 15 kids under the age of 7 that will be there. Sounds chaotic, huh? Time to go pack! :)

Fun with cheerios

Progress

Adelaide and I are in sunny San Antonio and are adjusting to the heat by spending lots of time in the pool. Addie (and I) started swim lessons at the YMCA this past week and all the experience has come in handy for Addie to feel comfortable playing in the pool. Her 4th tooth broke through yesterday so she's been a bit more needy but no fever, which we are quite thankful for! We've been having lots of fun with Grammie and the G-Pops and will head back to Grand Rapids on Monday.

Walking

Adelaide took her first steps last night!  She has taken a step here and there as she has lunged for Dave or I, but this was at least 6 steps in a row.  She was quite proud of herself but we weren't able to catch it on video, here are some attempts. :)

We've been quite busy over the past month.  We went to see Dave's grandparents in Unionville, MI.  Then over Memorial Day weekend we headed to Newfane, NY for my grandmother's 84th birthday.  The G-Pops was there to celebrate as well.  We were home for a weekend and then off to Cincinnati, OH for Kendahl and Dave's wedding celebration, which we just got home from this past Sunday.  It was indeed a celebration and we were very thankful that Grandma Bell came down from Columbus to watch Adelaide during the wedding and reception.  

Unfortunately,  Adelaide got sick over the weekend and we were in a hotel, without a thermometer and both Dave and I were exhausted from a busy wedding weekend.  This was the first fever she's had in her little life and it held on for 4 days and dramatically affected her sleep patterns (i.e. she wasn't sleeping!).  Dr. Taylor ruled out an ear infection and thought it was too high to blame on the teeth.  As of yesterday evening, the fever broke and it seems we have our happy, good sleeping, baby back.  I'm so thankful!!  Now Dave and I just need to catch up on sleep and we'll be back to normal.

I'm including one more video from a few weeks ago of Addie playing.  She just keeps on getting more and more fun!

9 months old!

How did the time go so fast?!  Adelaide had her 9 month check up today.  She weighs 16lb 8.5 oz (10th percentile).  She is 27 in. long (25th percentile).  And she has a head circumference of 18 in. (90th percentile).  Yes the big head continues.  Addie is healthy and once again Dr. Taylor commented on her development, even calling her aggressive in that department (that was his response to my comment about her pulling herself up on things to get better vantage points).  

In other news, Addie cut her first tooth this week, with her other front bottom tooth on its way. Dr. Taylor noticed that her top 4 teeth can been seen through the gums so he suggested that they will be not far behind.  The downside to the teeth has been a runny nose, watery eyes, fitful sleep, and a whole lot more whining. It's been a long week.

Fortunately, she continues to soak up the world around her and amuse us to no end.  She has learned how to drink from a straw and thinks that giving high-fives is hilarious.  Adelaide continues to be very vocal, letting us know when she's excited, annoyed, mad, and content.  Despite the fatigue, we feel very blessed for the beautiful little girl God gave us.

Happy Easter

And the chicken says...

Sleep anyone?

So here we are, increasing dexterity, a very active little mind, curious forms of mobility, expanded food experiences and a growing sense of humor.   Yet, still some relatively sleepless nights.

We love the glass in the front door, toy baskets and nearly anything else we can get our hands on.  Yet, still some relatively sleepless nights.  

We love when daddy gets home from work, barnyard animal noises, walking along furniture and the feeling of grass between our fingers.  Yet, still some relatively sleepless nights.  

Traverse City

Dave, Adelaide and I escaped to Traverse City, MI for an overnight this weekend.  On Friday, we drove up mid-morning and toured Old Mission Peninsula and some of the wineries in the afternoon.  We checked into our hotel and after Adelaide woke from her late afternoon nap we were off to find dinner. 

 As we drove down Front St., I saw "local sustainable cuisine" and we were sold.  We circled back around and entered "The Cook's House" not quite knowing what to expect.  It was a very small restaurant, only 6 tables with 

seating for 18 people.  We wavered bringing Adelaide into such a small space but the environment and the promise of local cuisine won out.                                                                     

It was by far the best meal we have had in a while.  Amazing flavor combinations, creative dishes, and all masterfully

 done.  Adelaide was a doll throughout the entire meal (we took 1.5 hours to eat), the chef even brought her some stewed apples, which she thoroughly enjoyed.  If you are in Traverse City and have the chance, check this place out.  It is a little pricey so be prepared but it was well worth it.

After dinner we headed back to the hotel and even though we were pushing bedtime we decided to take Adelaide swimming in th

e indoor pool.  It was her first time and she loved it!  Dave took her back to the pool in the morning. :)  We took our time

 getting out in the morning, so we had just enough time to stroll through p

art of downtown Traverse City and grab some lunch before heading home.  Adelaide did really well with the car travel (2.5 hours) and we had a fantastic time as a family.  The one tragedy of the weekend is that we lost Adelaide's pacifier, which she was starting to wean herself from but still definitely needed it for naps.  It's the only pacifier that she takes and it's not sold in stores.  Therefore, she's quitting cold turkey, poor thing.  It was a little rough getting her down for a nap this morning.

 

Eating

We're trying to make up for the lack of posts over the past several weeks.  Adelaide has made great progress in her eating.  She's becoming more adventurous, which has made feeding her much more relaxing and fun. 

I've had a lot of fun preparing her food and making all the purees.  I received a Magic Bullet for Christmas and love the convenience of a small little blender.  This week I made prunes (I had quite the time trying to find those in the grocery store) and apricots.  Our daycare provider thought it was a bit funny when I gave her apricots to feed Addie.  While the purees have been giving Adelaide 2 solid meals a day, we've also been experimenting with giving her parts of our meals.  Addie is always eager to try anything we have on our plates and has fast little fingers that often find their way into the messiest of foods (i.e. spaghetti, maple syrup).

Movement

Hi All,

Well as predicted we had a couple busy but good weeks.  We had great times with family and Adelaide did really well with a full house.

It is looking like Adelaide may skip crawling and go with walking.  She's been pulling herself up to standing on anything she can get her hands on and is always reaching out for our fingers to help her up so she can walk.

The past two nights Adelaide has been up for several hours at a time and so we're wondering if her first teeth are coming soon.  The other theory is that she is discovering so much her mind might be on overdrive.  Often when we try to soothe her in the middle of the night she ends of practicing all her sounds.  Usually, we find it very cute, just not at 2 in the morning.  The other morning, right after waking up, Adelaide was pinching her forefinger and thumb together and bringing it to her mouth, over and over and over again.  Practice makes perfect.

Pig Tails

We are heading into a couple busy weeks.  This coming weekend G&G Bell, U. Bryce, and G-Ma. Schweigert are going to be in town for Adelaide's baptism.  G. Schweigert is then staying the following week and braving the cold Michigan weather during her spring break, all for her granddaughter.  The G-Pops decided to stay in the warmth of Texas and needed to keep A. Jamie company now that she found her way to San Antonio. 

Dave, Adelaide, and I had a great weekend at U. Bill and A. Jan's cottage.  We got to cross country ski, go snowmobiling, be cozy around a fire and enjoy the company of family.  Thanks U. Bill and A. Jan!  On the way home yesterday, we attempted an early afternoon car trip and Adelaide did really well.  She slept for the first 2.5 hrs and then played and ate cheerios for the remaining hour making the trip quite pleasant and much easier on Dave and I.  Perhaps we are turning a corner with car travel.  Wouldn't that be exciting!

Valentine's Day and more

It's been a little while since I've posted.  Life has been marching on and Adelaide has perfected her sitting and is beginning to rock up on her hands and then back to sitting.  We'll see how long it takes before crawling happens. 

 Addie has been introduced to solids on a consistent basis and is getting two servings a day of solid foods.  She has been a bit picky, at times refusing to eat the offered foods, we have wondered about temperature, texture, type but I'm concluding it is usually all about timing.  But she is happy and healthy so we're not sweating the small stuff.  Addie has become quite proficient at eating cheerios and drinking out of a glass.  She also seems fond of bananas, sweet potatoes, and applesauce.  

We are going to hit the 7 month mark this week and I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone by.  I bought ponytail holders for Addie and have had fun styling her hair, which continues to grow! I was combing her hair after a bath and was amazed at how far it went down her back, next time I'll take a picture.  For now, here are a few we've taken over the past several weeks.

Just for Dad

6 months

Adelaide was 6 months old last week.  We went to her check up this past Monday.  She weighed in at 13 lb 12 oz (10%), was 25.5 in (30%), and had a head circumference of 17.25 in (80%).

 Bed Head at 6 months. 

Bed Head at 2 weeks.

Clowning around

Jamie and I were a little surprised when Adelaide started making faces at us.  It was hilarious but we weren't sure it was normal and I was a little worried that everything was okay with Addie.  So I posted this video on my Facebook and the overwhelming response was that Adelaide was getting a reaction so kept doing it.  It appears we have a comedian in the making.  The funniest part about it, is that she doesn't make a sound when she is doing it.  At first it appeared that she was trying to cover up a yawn, but now she'll do it just to get us to laugh.  Hope you all enjoy it as much as we did! :)

Giggles and Sniffles

Adelaide and I made our first sick visit to the doctor this morning.  It was quite the fiasco getting there.  A. Jamie locked her keys in her car (while running, I'm currently watching it run out of gas) 25 min before needing to be somewhere, so we loaded up a recently awoken Addie and rushed A. Jamie to her class.  Addie has been sick and I was worried about an ear infection so I had made a doctor's appointment for later in the morning.  Since we were out I called and they were able to fit us in.  We showed up, Addie in a dirty diaper and her nightgown! But the good news is that she does not have an ear infection, just a nasty cold and she is 13 lb 8 oz.  So we are hoping our sick little girl heals quickly.

While Addie has been crankier than normal she has still been smiling.  Here's a video from the other day with her A. Jamie, who seems to be able to get her to laugh better than a lot of people.

I am also including a few photos.  One is from Monday (before Adelaide was sick) when we took her out snow shoeing.  It was a beautiful sunny day and Addie slept in the front pack for most of it.

Dave's weekend away

Introducing Dave and Kendahl Heckel

For the second time in one week we loaded up the car and headed to Ohio.  This time for my long-time friend, Kendahl's, wedding.  Her fiance was in a life threatening motorcycle accident last June and by God's grace and intervention has recovered to the point of being released from the hospital last Tuesday.  With Dave moving home and needing care, they pushed up the wedding and had a small gathering of family and friends to witness their vows.  It was beautiful and courageous of them to invite chaos for the first weekend home.

Dave and I brought Jamie along to help out with Addie and despite bad driving weather and burning through a serpentine belt we had a great time and traveled safely.  It was a little wearing to drive through the night that frequently, I am still recovering, but we were so glad to be able to celebrate with Dave and Kendahl.