Addie gets a Big Girl Bed!

Before Addie was sleeping through the night even, my Papaw (the one with the fluffy little dog) found a bed for Addie that he knew was meant just for her. He kept the full-size bed in his kitchen next to his breakfast table for many months until Tim and I were finally able to make the trip down with the truck and pick it up. Then the bed was stored in our garage, until baby boy was expected to arrive and we pulled it out and got to work. Grandpa Dave worked and worked on making the bed look new, and I was just so excited to see the final product and so thankful that her "first big girl bed" was something extra special from a very special person. It will be a nice story to share for many years. Here are a few shots of Addie seeing her new bed for the first time....

So far, sleepy-time in the new bed is going fairly well. She sleeps well at night, with an occasional middle-of-the-night tear where either Tim or myself have to tuck her back in and make her "catch our kisses" as Tim says. That was also something she would do every once in a while in the crib, so I wouldn't necessarily blame the bed for that one. Today was the first time in almost 5 days that she actually took a nap. I was starting to worry that maybe that was going to be a thing of the past- just in time for the new baby! However, shortly after we tucked her in this afternoon, she was fast asleep. Keep your fingers crossed for us! I will eventually get a cute picture of the bed all made up. My mom got Addie the most adorable bedding for her birthday, and I cannot begin to describe how adorable it is in words! I'm so proud of her for making the transition go so smoothly, but also a little bittersweet to see my "baby" sleeping somewhere other than her safe, solid little crib...

Good times with great friends...

A couple of weeks ago I had four close friends make the two-hour road trek down to spend a Saturday night with me. They said they were coming to celebrate baby boy and spoil the mommy-to-be, which they definitely managed to accomplish. First of all, just spending time with these women is a treat for me anymore. I used to live on the same sorority hall with these girls, and two of them were even my roomates for a couple of semesters at Longwood. That was over 9 years ago, and they all still remain very special to me and dear to my heart even though I don't get to visit with them as much as we used to. This is Anna...We lived together for several semesters and have seen each other go through some tough times. She and I have always had a special bond. I am watching Anna's life take some fantastic turns as we speak, and it so reminds me of where I was 5 years ago when I met Tim.

This is my Shannon. She and I also lived together on the DZ hall for several semesters. We had way too much fun together and have many wild stories of times between us as college girls! I was in Shannon's wedding a few years back and now get to watch her be a super-mommy to her adorable little boy, Hayden. I am very lucky to have her in my life.

This is Theresa, probably one of the most fun girls I know, plus she is a fantastic mommy and teacher all at the same time. How does she do it? With a house full of boys (two little ones and a husband), she still knows how to have a good time and keep in touch with old friends. I always cherish the times we get together and ALWAYS end up laughing alot when she is around!

This is Jarah, the planner behind our social events and the glue that holds us all together. She never forgets a birthday or holiday with a cute little card and is also a barrel of laughs to be around. She knows how to make people feel special and wants to make sure every one is having a good time and feeling comfortable! I miss talking to her like we used to, but we always wind up picking up where we left off the last time!

The girls made sure Baby Boy was taken care of with plenty of diapers, wipes, blankets, and cute little onesies. They were way too good to us!

Baby boy will be a Redskins fan for sure! Thanks Anna!

I love you girls and I miss you all like crazy!

Are we ready?

Tim, the proud Daddy, paints baby boy's room on his day off! We chose a soft blue and light green paint that I think really looks great together. I can't wait to show the finished project here soon!

My mom is working on sewing the curtains for his room right now, and Tim and I plan on trying to move Addie to her big girl bed this weekend. Then we will be able to put the crib in his room , and it will feel like we are really almost ready to bring him home!

It has been a long, tough week with the heat and my poor car (which still is not running as it should) and my furry friend, Sally, whom we found out is very sick, but we are reminded each day to count our blessings and be thankful for all that we have, which still brings a smile to my face! We can't wait to meet this new addition to our crazy little family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Addison Leigh 7-17-07 !!!!

Finally, I got my camera back and can finish up the big birthday bash post....Thanks Anna!

This was the morning of the party, and Addie was very excited to wear her new birthday shirt from her Mamaw. She is eating her cereal and watching "Franklin" in the picture below, waiting for the party to start...
Bennetts Bakery made the cake for our party guests again this year. Pricey, but so yummy and worth every penny!

Addie anxiously awaits her special birthday cake and ice cream as we all get ready to sing to her. She loves the extra attention!

And she loves ice cream even more! Forget the cake, she'll take seconds on the ice cream though...

Even though she wasn't allowed to eat the big Elmo Cake...she made many successful attempts at taste testing the icing before the party. Can you see that sneaky smile? I just caught her...

Daddy doesn't mind joining in the festivities! He likes Elmo too!

She learned quickly that the packages were for her and quickly perfected the art of tearing into them!

Of course, Papaw and Precious attended the big bash...

and pizza from our favorite pizza joint was enjoyed by all!

What a great birthday party she had this year! She is loved by so many, and we are so lucky to have such supportive friends and family living so nearby!

My Papaw...

This is a picture I snapped of my Papaw a few weeks back. That is his best furry friend, Precious, and I do believe she is the best company he has ever had since my Mamaw went to heaven several years back. Precious is like a little furball companion sent down from God to help my Papaw remember to smile and to love unconditionally and, of course, to brush her a bazillion times in one day. If I were to die and come back as a furry creature, I would want to be Precious! And although I may not be a fan of small, yippey, furry dogs, I am a HUGE fan of Precious because she makes my Papaw so happy and loves him back just as much as he loves her! Just thought Papaw and Precious might make you smile this morning too....

Play time with Daddy..

Addie is feeling much better today and is hopefully going to be much more pleasant to hang out with than she has been the past couple of days. We are headed to Little Gym and then off to the Doctor's office for my check-up. I can always see the slight frown on the nurse's faces when I walk in the door with Addie in tow. She HATES nurses and all things doctor related, so she cries pretty much the whole time we are there. I just smile and apologize every once in a while, and then ignore her screeching, whining cries as if they are just part of my every day routine!

UPDATE: I just took a break from my post to get the little monster out of her crib and dressed, and she is still ROTTEN as ever. She is refusing to put her shirt on, saying she wants to be "nakey" at the "lil gym". I can tell its going to be a LONG day folks!

Camera to be returned soon....promise!

I walked into Addie's room the morning of her 2nd birthday wearing an Elmo Birthday Hat....and she wanted it BAD! (Look at what a big girl she is! Her big girl bed is on its way!)

It was a long HOT weekend, and I am definitely beyond the "hey, I'm a cute, happy, pregnant lady" stage (if there ever was one). Nights are exhausting for me now and I can barely get myself to roll out of bed the 3 or 4 times each night for a bathroom visit! Baby Boy is moving around like crazy what seems like ALL the time and I just feel plain yucky! Poor Tim!

Saturday I locked my keys to the rental car inside the car at a yardsale at 8:30 AM. It was my third stop that morning, and I hadn't even found any treasures yet. Imagine me sitting on the curb beside my car in front of a yardsale....waiting for a ride....big...and swollen....and sweaty....and emotional! That should make you laugh! Thanks again to AAA for bailing us out of this one. Evidently, rental cars don't come with any spare keys!

Addie came down with a small fever yesterday afternoon. Poor baby! No other symptoms, just a slight fever and she was really tired and whiny! I have never seen her just lay on the couch and look so pitiful. Hopefully, she is feeling back to her old self again this morning! I'll keep you posted....and I promise to not lock HER in the car along with my keys!