Addison J. Barat

NEW blog address for Addison and Isla

2010-05-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hi all - We've created a new blog for both Addison and Isla, and have merged Addison's previous blog over. Going forward, please visit http://www.addisonandisla.blogspot.com/ for pictures and updates of the Barat girls. :)

T-minus 11 hours until Baby Barat #2 is here!

2010-05-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

In a few short hours (well, long for me because I doubt I will sleep tonight), we'll be leaving for the hospital to prepare to meet the newest addition to our family - so exciting! I think we're as prepared as we can possibly be, down to the carpets being cleaned, Callie being groomed, cars washed and filled with gas, refrigerator stocked for Addison and Grandma, laundry hamper empty, baby car seat and gear ready to go, bag packed....the list goes on, as I've been "nesting" obsessivley for the past 4 days.

Addison had a field day with all the baby gear and even got herself seated in the baby bouncy seat that she HATED when she was an infant. As she's playing with all the baby stuff, she makes the sound of a crying baby - "whaaaaaa" - it's quite funny. We've been talking about the fact that the baby will be here to live with us and she'll be a big sister a LOT, but we're pretty sure she doesn't have a clue what's going on. She's with Nana and Ba tonight, and will come to see us at the hospital at some point tomorrow. We're dying to know how she'll react.

It's been HOT and muggy here and Addison has been having so much fun playing outside. Her newest obsession is with caterpillars, pronounced "ca-piya". She picks them up, dunks them in water, carries them around until they die and then hands them off to me. Nice. Her watertable, pronounced "wa-table", provides hours of entertainment as well. We got a big blowup pool with a slide and can't wait to get it set up for her in the backyard.

That's all for now, and stay tuned for more when three Barats become four!

She woke up on Saturday asking for "pancakes, strawberries and milk" - how could we resist? Headed straight to the Good Day Cafe

Ca-piya

Front yard in bloom

Day before! I'm huge....
but you can't tell from behind!

Mother's Day

2010-05-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

We had a Mother's Day brunch at Ba and Nana Barats house, where Addison practiced her piano skills. Check out the cute clips below.

Lounging on her toychest at the foot of our bed - strategially placed and gets a ton of use from Addison

38 weeks and counting

Random pics and vids

2010-05-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

The final coutdown to baby Barat #2 is officially here. I am finding it hard to walk, sit, eat, sleep and breathe at the moment, so every day I make it through is a victory. Addison gets cuter by the minute, singing new songs (5 little monkeys jumping on the bed is the current fave) and saying funny things. We don't think she has any idea that a baby is coming, although she points to her own stomach and says "baby" quite often. When asked what a baby says, she simply replies "whaaaaaaa", so at least she'll be prepared for the crying! We transitioned her to her new, downstairs bedroom last week without a hitch. She didn't even bat an eye at it, and in fact, she seems to like her "big girl room" better than her "baby" room. So, only 3 short weeks until Addison and our lives are changed forever, and 3 become 4!

Go Callie, go!

Camera face

Addison and Delaney after Delaney "styled" Addison's hair

Not sure how many weeks, about 34 maybe?

About 36 weeks

That face again

Super hungry after a nap!

Minnesota Zoo

2010-04-18T18:18:00.001-07:00

Well, it's no San Diego Zoo, but on Saturday we had a great time with a few Target moms/toddlers at the Minnesota Zoo, which niether Addison nor I had visited before. There was a baby farm animals exhibit that we didn't want to miss and the kids LOVED it! The day was comical with all of us trying to corral the tots and get them from place to place in a pack. Addison and her buddy Kellen shared a wagon that Kellen's mom kindly pulled (thanks Nicole!), and just watching the two of them together was hilarious. Addison talked to him non-stop, seemingly trying to either tell him what to do or point things out to him. They have this thing with snacks, the two of them - each always wants what the other is having, so snack time in the wagon was interesting! It was a warm, sunny day and we walked and walked and walked.....despite this, Nicole told me that we didn't see at least 60% of the actual zoo! More reason to go back later this summer. Addison was singing "Old McDonald" all day and was still sining it today - the animals she picks for the farm are funnny - always owls, pigs and horses and that's about it. She's also been singing her ABCs quite well and she's got her numbers one through ten down PAT! So proud of her.

On Saturday night we went to a BBQ at Jeff, Natalie and new baby Gus's loft. Addison was a party animal and quite the little entertainer. There was a birthday cake for me and she enjoyed eating off of everyone's plates while saying "Happy birthday to you" - nice sugar rush at 9pm. :)

Loading up the wagon

Noah and Addison looking at the fish in the lagoon

On the tractor ride to the "Farm" to see the baby animals

At one point she insisted on pushing the wagon up a hill...with Kellen in it!

There was a petting zoo where the kids fed goats - so cute

Lounging on the roofdeck at Jeff and Natalie's - sorry I didn't get any pictures of Gus. What's wrong with me?

Weekend update

2010-04-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Spring is truly here, although our neighbor, Ann, swears there will be a snowstorm in April. We don't believe her though, and are in great spirits due to the mid-70s weather. Perfect for sleeping with the windows open at night, a treat all Minnesotans cherish! This weekend we finished up the yard, cleared out all the flower beds, raked the lawn, picked up leaves and pulled the cushions out for the patio furniture. Addison was outside pretty much the entire weekend, and wanted to play with her water table as much as possible. In fact, at one point she hoisted herself INTO the water table and did not want to come out. We need to get her a little blow-up pool, fast! We also ALMOST finished Addison's new room, and I promise within the next week or two I will debut pics.

She's standing in the water table here

and blowing bubbles here

lunch outside!

Easter and more...

2010-04-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend greeted us with AMAZING weather! Almost 70 degrees and sunny - the ideal temperature for a big Easter egg hunt outside....but we didn't do that unfortunately. Maybe next year. We spent the morning opening Easter basket goodies and relaxing (well, really doing a ton of chores and things) around the house before heading out to Heather and Guy's for brunch in the early afternoon. We ate, opened more Easter goodies, decorated Easter cookies, hung out with all the kids/cousins, who coincidentally are ALL girls, and headed home right in time for Addison to throw a temper tantrum in response to having to leave a flashlight and ball that she was obsessed with behind. Once home, Addison went down for a long nap and DJ and I worked in the yard, raking sticks and leaves, cleaning the patio and setting the patio furniture out. Can't wait to use it! At the moment, Addison is next door at the neighbors having a blast, being entertained by about 6 girls and clearly the center of all attention. All in all a great weekend!

One of Addison's favorites is Cookie Monster; every morning she greets Daddy with a very convincing "COOO-KIE!"

Digging in to the Easter basket

Addison's butterfly cookie masterpiece

Relaxing on the bunny floor pillow

Looking good in her Easter pink!

She loves to run around naked after a bath

The Beginnings of Spring

2010-03-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air here, with temperatures reaching 70 degrees and NO MORE snow in sight! It's that time of year that you can see the buds starting to grow from the lilac bushes, and the grass starting to push up green and fresh. Addison is in heaven and wants to be outside as much as possible. She was really into walking Callie for a couple of weeks, but could care less now and would rather spend her walks picking up sticks and leaves. Addison continues to be a funny little goofball with moments of extreme sassiness and bossiness. BUT she is a great sleeper and is getting back into vegetables...the word of the week is broccoli. She is also now aware that there is a baby in my belly and not hers. Stay tuned for pictures of her adorable new room - we expect to be finished by next weekend.

31 weeks...I think!

She thinks she's so brave walking "downhill" on this bridge - a daredevil she is not!

Marching

Palm Springs Vacation

2010-03-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

We ended up having a wonderful time in Palm Springs with the family, but the beginning of the trip was nothing short of awful. It all started when we awoke to Addison's cries at 3am (not typical for her) on the Friday we were to fly out. We entered her bedroom to find the poor thing covered in vomit - gross! She's never thrown up or had the flu before, so we weren't quite sure what was going on. After checking for a fever (none), a bath and a change of all the crib bedding, we put her back down around 4am hoping that it was just a strange fluke. Well, an hour later was like groundhog day - more puke, more laundry, another bath. By this time we were kind of freaking out, wondering what to do about our pending trip, because Addison was definitely not feeling well. We tossed around 3 ideas - cancel the trip altogether, change our flight by a few days and fly out later in the week (to the tune of another $500 or so) or say screw it and just go. We went with option 3 and moved forward with our plans, hoping that we were making the right decision and also praying that neither DJ nor I caught the bug.

There was another vommiting episode RIGHT before we boarded our first flight, but nothing beyond that as far as the plane went. However, 2 blow-out diarrhea diapers with a toddler on the lap and teeny tiny airplane restrooms was enough to almost put us over the edge. Long story short, we made it, Addison was ill for the next day or so, but then bounced back nicely. Unfortunately I, then Grandpa Allan AND Grant and Stacy all came down with whatever bug she had, so the beginning portion of the trip was kind of unpleasant. Sorry everyone!

The sickies finally got well and by Tuesday things were back to normal and the weather was gorgeous. For the remainder of the week Addison had a great time playing in the pool for hours on end, taking walks around the property and picking flowers galore, visting Grandma Pam and seeing horses for the first time (she even took a ride!), wandering the Palm Springs street fair, eating lots of yummy food and generally making everyone laugh at her spunky, funny little personalilty. DJ golfed each morning and loved every minute of it, and we enjoyed a day at an awesome spa together on Tuesday - pretty much my idea of heaven!

We're back in MN now getting ready to start a work week and even though it's good to be home, we miss everyone and the sunshine - thanks for everything, see you all soon!

New toy - Elmo Bubble Machine!

Love the shades

Horsey time - she's a natural!

Kissing Daisy the pony

First pony ride

The pool at Miramonte Spa

Scary!

Pool time!

Hmmmm......

Strawberry pancakes, oh boy!

Zonked out on the plane ride home

The most bizarre man - an electric cellist at the Palm Springs street fair. I couldn't resist a short clip - what a dork! Addison was mesmerized by him though :)

Pigtail Princess

2010-02-28T15:49:00.001-08:00

Addison is finally allowing us to put rubberbands or barettes in her hair without ripping them out immediately. How cute is she in pigtails? This is the first time she left them alone and actually realized there was something different about herself - she checked herself out in the mirror for about 10 minutes and loved what she saw! She really looks like a little girl now vs. a baby. Kind of sad, but at least we have another on the way to fill the void. ;)

The only way Addison holds still while getting her diaper changed is if we sing to her the whole time. Usually it's some version of "wheels on the bus" except she dictates what's on the bus (always animals and Elmo) and then we all make the noises. I tried to catch one session on film below. Enjoy!

How cute!

Checking herself out - looking good!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-21T17:43:00.000-08:00

I hope the video clip below is viewable - not sure what's going on with the uploading process lately, but it's been taking longer and they don't always get posted completely. Maybe I have overloaded this blog with video clips! Nothing too exciting to report, just in awe of Addison growing and changing every day, turning into quite a funny character. She's now singing her "ABC's" and saying "OKAY!" a LOT! We had a baby shower for Natalie on Saturday - a few pictures are posted below.

Getting bigger...25 weeks

A few pictures from Natalie's shower

The cake matched the invitations

My co-host Mara

1,2,3......

2010-02-14T10:03:00.000-08:00

Addison's been practicing her counting and can get to 10 by herself! She's really difficult to capture on video these days, as she always wants to grab the camera. I have a weak attempt posted below...you can hear a few numbers, but it isn't the most indicative snapshot of her talents. :)

Baby Barat #2 is doing well, moving alot. This is me at about 24 weeks below. Only about 3 more months to go, and so much to do still!

Clowning around in Daddy's reading glasses - scary picture!

Fruit fiend

Go Vikings!

2010-01-24T18:29:00.000-08:00

It's been an exciting Sunday in Minnesota. The Vikings are trying to make it into the Superbowl, and even I'm giddy! What a game against the Saints - poor Brett Favre is taking a beating, but we still have a chance. I'm posting this as the very nerve-wracking 4th quarter comes to an end. Although Addison is long asleep now, she was in the sprit for the first 1/2 of the game and even learned to say "Go Vikings"!

Her newest passion is for necklaces - any and all kinds. She walks around putting them on, taking them off, putting them on and taking them off. Her walking skills are improving daily and she rarely chooses to crawl anymore. She's also really enjoying swimming at the YMCA. She's got the hang of kicking her feet and semi-blowing bubbles. I've gotta get some pictures of that. She's saying "please" and "thank you" very well these days too - so cute!

Today we did what every true Minnesota family on a cold and icy day does - we went to the indoor playground! Very odd, but good for little kiddies to burn off energy. We topped off the afternoon with a thai food lunch, which Addison enjoyed very much. She chowed down on calamari, potstickers and chicken satay with plum sauce. This girl can eat! She starts 3 classes this month - Library storytime on Tuesdays, Music Class on Wednesdays and an Early Childhood Family Education class on Fridays. It's going to be a busy spring for Addison!

Helping with the dishes

First chop sticks

Morning happy face
Here's me at 21 weeks

Go Vikings!

2010-01-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

Little Addison has had a rough couple of weeks. She had what we thought was a cold for some time and we kept wondering why it was hanging on for so long - the cough, runny nose, everything was getting worse by the week. Well, we finally took her in to the pediatrician, and lo and behold she had a double ear infection. A few doses of amoxocillan later she was feeling SO much better. We were to give her the amoxocillan for 10 days, but by day 7 she broke out in the worst rash either of us had ever seen, all over her body. Big red welts were covering her from face to foot! So....back to the doctor we went and it turns out she's allergic to the amoxocillan. Good to know! Regardless of that, the ear infections are gone and now that she's been off the medicine for several days, so is the horrible rash.

Despite all of this, Addison has been in relatively good spirits. Her newest favorite word is "princess" and all that is associated with that. She also loves her stickers and coloring books, and a cardboard house DJ made her from a box left over from Christmas. She also loves bath time even more these days thanks to a fun toy from the Grandpas! Tonight she is going over to the neighbors house to hang out for dinner and to play with Abbey, Alice and Anna.

Addison Land

Koo-Koo Face

Addison's new big girl table in the kitchen

Bath time is fun!

A White Christmas

2009-12-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

What a Christmas! We've had more snow in the past 3 days than we've ever had at this time of year, and it's beautiful - big, fat, fluffy flakes of snow covering everything and putting you right into the holiday spirit. Gramma Pam is in town for the week and has experienced her first white Christmas ever...and she survived. :)

Addison had a wonderful time today. The morning started with her coming into the living room to see her Pottery Barn retro pink kitchen set and opening gifts that went along with that (play dishes, play food, a tea kettle and toaster) and opening her stocking. She went down for a nap before DJ's parents (Ba and Nana) arrived, but woke up just in time to eat a delicious brunch of roasted vegtable quiche with gruyere cheese, homemade Belgian waffles with fresh whipped cream and berries, fresh squeezed OJ and crispy bacon...well, she didn't have any bacon, but everything else she loved. Then it was time for more gifts and play. It was a long day of fun, and now it's time for a little dinner, a bath and bedtime.

Thanks, everyone, for the wonderful gifts and Merry Christmas to all!

Sledding on Christmas Eve Day

Christmas Eve at Ba and Nana's

First things first on a snowy Christmas morning! Luckily our neighbot came over and bailed DJ out with the snow blower.

Presents!

The table is set for brunch!

She's Walking!!

2009-12-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Addison is a quick study. Within two weeks of her first real attempt at truly walking (see last post), our little peanut has gained the confidence she needed in order to take some long-awaited steps on her own. She's so proud of herself, and we are even more proud. She's getting better every day. Go Addison!

Our budding photographer

She loves, loves, LOVES Elmo

Chicken Little Takes a Step

2009-12-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Well, our little chicken is still a chicken, but she had a mini-breakthrough on the walking front on Saturday night at our neighbor's Christmas party. The moment we walk into one of the neighborhood functions Addison is immediately swept away from us by either a.) an overzealous mother who misses those baby years b.) a bigger kid who wants to prove she can be a babysitter c.) a younger kid who wants to prove she's not lowest on the totem pole by showing she can be a big sister or d.) a dad of a bigger kid now and again, but that never lasts too long! So although Addison will rarely walk for us, the kids got her going and she actually stood in the middle of the floor for a good 60 seconds, on her own, and upon realizing how excited everyone around her was, started clapping for herself, then proceeded to take a couple of steps before crumbling to the ground. We were all going wild, because everyone knows she isn't walking yet. It was a tiny victory, but progress nonetheless. Baby steps...no pun intended. We caught one of the less exciting attempts on our camera.

Oh, and by the way, I'm not sending out holiday cards this year. I know, boo on me, what a horrible mother, blah, blah blah, but I just can't muster the time, energy or money that it would take to create the cards I would really like to send, and then address them all and send them out. I'll start saving for next year, promise! Give me a break, I'm pregnant! Only one more month until we find out what little Barat #2 is!

Addison's first picture! She really snapped this herself - Delaney was teaching her to use the camera

The camera face

Thanksgiving weekend

2009-11-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

It's only Saturday, but it's been a nice, relaxing holiday weekend already. Logan ended up coming into town to see his dad and sister, so we've had an extra kid around too! He's at the age where he's a really big help around the house with the regular stuff, as well as with Addison. I'm a horrible photographer, so I don't have any really great pictures to share this week. I promise I'll get more!

Thursday was spent decorating the tree and livng room. What a relief to have all of that done, and it looks great! This is my favorite time of year when it comes to how my living room looks. As Addison entered the room, she started screaming "yites!", which means lights. We told her right away that she couldn't touch the ornaments, so although she'll sidle up really close to the tree and stare, she's been great about not touching. You can tell she's dying to grab one of the glass balls, so we'll see how long the obedience lasts! Thanksgiving was spent at DJ's parents house, where we had NOT a turkey (Judith isn't a big fan of turkey), but a roast with all the delicious fixings, including a pumkin caramel pie that Judith made from scratch, pumpin and all! Judith's half-sister Heather and her husband and two daughters were also there, so it was nice to see everyone and for the kids to play together.

I ended up going into work on Friday while Addison stayed with Grandma, and Dana, DJ and Logan played pool. I left work pretty early and hit the stores for some quick Christmas shopping. Today we all went to the gym and are currently hanging out at home while Addison naps. She's been in a little pain today with her teeth, we think, but she's holding up well. Her newest thing is reaching up for you and saying "hug?"....it's the cutest thing ever! She also knows her animal sounds down pat, and all the basic body parts too, which she likes to say all in a row, as in "eyesnosemouth" while pointing at each. Toes and teeth are also favorites. Her play is becoming more imagianitive too - you can watch her pretending to stir pots, drink from cups, answer the phone, etc. She's become quite a dancer too..loves to boogie to the beat! A ham basically. Almost a year and 1/2 old! 17 months in just a few days.

Eating pancakes last weekend - yum!

Our neighbor, Delaney, comes over to hang out and practice her babysirtting skills with Addison. She just turned 11 and plans to get "certified" as a babysitter this year. She knows it will be a while before she'd be able to stay with Addison alone. :)

Thanksgiving at Nana's

A preview of some Christmas house shots

What's new and exciting in the Barat world? A toddler getting molars...

2009-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Poor Addison is experiencing the worst of the teething journey - cutting her molars. It seems so unfair that these poor little babies endure over a year of teething pain, but the molars are by FAR the biggest beast. We had always heard that it seems like babies develop colds overnight (fever, runny nose, cough, etc.) when the worst of teething sets in, and now we know it's true. Addison has been feeling under the weather lately and has been swallowing so much gunk that she's had to sleep upright in her carseat in the crib for the past 3 nights. It's funny though, becasue we think she actually prefers it - sleeps just fine all through the night. She's been in pretty good spirits considering the situation, but we're going to run to the pediatrician tomorrow to check things out just in case.

Other than that, all is well here. We've been experiencing warmer than normal weather, but it's still not warm to me. Oooh, 50 degrees during the day, how wonderful! ;)

Here she is, ready for bed in the carseat. She's holding her "Quatchi" doll tight! Grant and Stacy brought this for Addison from their visit to Vancouver - he's one of the mascots for the 2010 Winter Olymics and Addison loves him!

Hanging at the park with her buds last weekend

The "syide" (that means slide) is her favorite

We have a new ritual in the morning - even though Addison eats breakfast when she gets over the Brenda's, she insists on sharing our cereal with us while we readh her stories. How can you resist when she says in the cutest voice, kind of like a question.."Seeri?" That means cereal :)

Remember the adorable "camera face" Addison debuted a few weeks back? Well, this is her new camera face. Whenever you take the camera out to snap a photo she immediately makes her way over and starts grabbing for it. I liked the first camera face better!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T13:57:00.001-08:00

I love when Halloween falls on a Saturday. Plenty of time to get ready, have some fun, then sleep in the next day and we did just that. Addison was a "Lil' Leopard", as the costume was labeled, and we thought it would be perfect for walking around in the cold evening for trick or treating. Our crazy neighbors the Zemans had their annual Halloween party which started at 4pm. I don't think I've ever seen so many kids in costume in one place at the same time! After eating and drinking until we were full to the gills, we headed out for some trick or treating around the neighborhood. Although Addison didn't collect any candy, she had a great time watching all the kids run around and pointing out all the pumpkins. We visited all the neighbors we wanted to see, then headed back to the Zeman's for more fun. Addison partied it up, went to bed late and slept in until 8am. Heaven! We went to an early breakfast then picked up leaves all afternoon.

The Lil' Leopard - ready to party!

Cole was Vanilla Ice - loved it!

The whole crew

Time to go home!

Fall leaves

Fall in Minnesota

2009-10-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Finally, some classic Fall weather this weekend! No snow, rain or ice, just cool crisp air and bright sunshine. We took advantage of this treat by heading to Minnetonka Orchards, about 20 minutes from our house. You may remember some photos on the blog from this place around this time last year. http://addisonbarat.blogspot.com/2008/10/minnetonka-apple-orchard.html. We took Addison when she was just 3 months old, but I have to say this year was much more fun for all of us. The farm is owned by 2 brothers who turn their property into a Fall Wonderland each year, fun for kids and adults alike. We started and ended in the pumpkin patch (we'll carve pumpkins NEXT weekend!), and visited the corn maze, apple orchards, animal barn and took a tractor ride through the trees in between. Of course we also had to make a stop at the hot apple cider and homemade cinnamon-sugar donut shack as well! Addison was in heaven...

Other fun updates include Addison learning to use her fork and spoon (she uses the utensils I used as a toddler), and her new obsession with "mugging" for the camera each time the thing is pointed at her - it's hilarious! See directly below for an immediate example. Scroll down to the bottom for more laughs.

This is her happy face - before we left the house

This is the happy face when we reached the pumpkin patch

Not so sure about the creepy corn maze

Tractor ride - I wish I had my camera DURING the ride, we went through a forest of beautiful golden-leafed trees

The silly billy goats

Apple time!

Let's hope she makes progress on the apple growth chart next year ;)

Kissing daddy through the shower door

Addison's camera face

I can use my fork!

California - September 18-25

2009-10-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

We've been a bit delinquent on the blog postings for a couple of weeks, but we have an excuse...vacation! We were in Santa Barbara for Stacy and Grant's wedding, followed by some much needed down time at the beach house in Ventura. Too much fun = too much to write, so that's all we have to say. Enjoy the pictures, they speak for themselves!

Rehearsal Dinner Day

Sorry, this is SUPER dark, but just imagine Addison putting on and taking off her lei

Wedding Day

Celebration

Breakfast at the wharf - morning after the wedding

Beach time

Last day

The last weekend of Summer!

2009-09-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful weekend! We've been looking forward to this 3-day weekend for weeks now, especially since we got to stay with Addison since Thursday due to Brenda being on vacation. What a treat! Since it was 75-80 degrees and sunny every day, we spent time outside in the backyard and we hit the beach as well. Back to work tomorrow, but looking forward to Grant and Stacy's wedding and more beach time in just 2 weeks!

Addison talking to her buddy the duck

We found her sleeping like this during a morning nap - how cute is that?!

Taking a break to read a book

Addison writes her first blog posting - A day at the park with my Dad.

2009-09-07T13:09:00.001-07:00

Some of you might find this odd but I thought I'd write a posting for once and give my mom a break. I figure it's the least I can do for the best Mom in the whole wide world. She always takes the time to write such wonderful things about how much she loves watching me grow, laugh, play and "All kinda thing like that there."

I'm sure you're wondering where I got that saying from. My Grandpa Allan got that saying stuck in my head the first time I visited California when I was 3 months old and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. Anyway, I'm writing to let everyone know that I had the most amazing day with my Daddy.

We started out by having a wonderful breakfast together and then he took me for a jog through our neighborhood. After my morning nap we went to the park where I played in the sand, got my tan on and swung on the swing set. The best was when I climbed up the steep stairs leading to the slide. It was my very first time accomplishing a feat of this magnitude. I made it up the entire way without my Daddy's help. He was so proud of me! He clapped and cheered me on the entire way. However, I must say he was a bit nervous when I went down the steep stairs. It was a little touch and go going down the first four steps. Then, on the fifth one I ended up falling off and landing on the sand covered playground floor. It was no big thing though. I got up and dusted myself off and moved on to the next playground adventure. Thanks Dad for such a wonderful day! Love, Addison.

Ok, maybe DJ wrote this but Addison played a big role in the editing room.

Playtime at the Calhoun Park

2009-08-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous weekend in the Mini-apple! We spent a ton of time outside this weekend, with Addison roaming around the kiddie park by lake Calhoun for much of Saturday afternoon. She was quite adventurous, climing up the slide and slithering down the playground equipment. It's hard to keep this girl clean these days!

On Sunday we all came into my office to drop off some plants and pictures (I've been doing a bit of office redecorating to make myself feel more at home!) and Addison had a GREAT time sitting in my chair and banging on my keyboard. She also made friends with a little stuffed Target dog that was sitting near my desk, and insisted on repeatedly kissing and squeezing him. She even propped him up right on the keyboard in front of her all by herself!

Addison had pizza for the first time this week and scarfed it down with gusto. We made it ourselves on a piece of whole wheat flatbread with veggies and cheese, so although this version was healthy, I'm pretty sure she'll love the real deal when she gets a hold of that someday.

Bottle before bed with dad

Target!

Park time!

Pizza!

Cedar Lake Beach

2009-08-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Possibly the nicest weather we have had all Summer long. Following a week of torrential downpours, tornado warnings and flash floods, this weekend was filled with sunshine, blue skies, warm air and a mild breeze. It's even been cool enough at night to sleep with the windows open.

Addison and I went to the zoo with our good friend Natalie, and Mara and her kids - I think Addison has seen enough of the zoo this year. She has a hard time sitting still in the stoller, and constantly wants to get out and crawl around. If she sees a field of grass or a body of water, she squirms and wriggles and says "down!" Well, it sounds like down. The zoo isn't exactly the best place for crawling around, but we enjoyed the day anyhow.

Sunday, DJ and Addison and I hit Cedart Lake Beach, not far from our house. Addison ate about 10 handfuls of sand, crawled all over a kayak, splashed in the water and scarfed down her first PB&J sandwich with watermelon. She had a great time, and so did we!

Morning sleepy head

New fave pastime - open drawer, take clothes out,

put clothes back in, shut drawer, repeat...

Cedar Lake Beach -

on our way down the trail

Watermelon obession

Splish splash - sorry for the sideways view here!

Wheeeee! One final rinse before heading out

"Hot"

2009-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Addison's trick this week is saying "hot" and blowing on her food. There's something new all the time! She continues to love all bodies of water, and will do anything to hop right in. On Saturday we went to a pool party, where Addison attempted multiple times to climb into the pool by lowering herslef over the side (like she does on the stairs) and going in backwards. Don't be alarmed, we were right there with her of course, but her confidence in her abilities is growing daily. We then high-tailed it to a party with my Target co-workers and family/kids, where it proceeded to downpour and Addison and my boss's children insisted on crawling around in the rain becoming soaked. The woman and her husband hosting (no children yet) were panicked - it was hilarious! The kids had a good time though. I have no pictures of that event, but plenty of bath-time, and a few of the pool party. Enjoy!

HOT

Como Zoo

2009-08-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Logan was visiting with us (and is here all week) so we decided to make a family outing to Como Zoo, one of the best FREE zoos I have ever been to! There is a beautiful carousel ride, tons of fun animals, a sea lion show and even a little amusement park for kids. This season there happens to be a beautiful butterfly exhibit, which was amazing - a huge tent shaped like a catepillar filled with flowers and plants and butterflies of all shapes, colors and sizes! We got some pretty cool pictures and Addison even tried to reach out and touch a few.

We also spent time on Saturday afternoon at DJ's softball playoff tournament. Addison got to hang with her buddy Cailin who is one day younger than her. Lots of July babies last year!

At the softball tourney

She was ALL OVER this little pug puppy

Trying on the pink cowboy boots from Grammie Pam :)

She likes them, I promise!

Eating lunch on Como Park before the zoo

Before the carousel ride - yippee!

Huge lillypads

I couldn't resist - these are the worst jeans I have ever seen on a man!

The tortoise, my favorite

my other favorite

Addison trying to get a better glimpse of Sparky the Sea Lion

Reaching for butterflies

Carousel clip

Before the Sea Lion show

Video clip blast - Enjoy!

2009-08-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Addison loves to "answer" DJ's de-activated cell phone

Pushing the cart :)

Scaling the stairs...backwards!

Fun with Callie

"Hi"

2009-07-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Addison is picking up new words every week and has quite the repetoire! She can now say "night-night", "no", "dog", "spider", "woof", "this", "that", "sit", "stay", "dadda" and her favorite of all..."hi". I happened to catch a couple of "hi"s on video, so check it out below! Her eye teeth are poping through so there have been a few rough patches with heavy teething in the last couple of weeks - poor thing! Other than that she continues to be a happy, curious, book-loving litte munchkin. We had a wonderful weekend of good weather and good friends, and look forward to the new week ahead!

"Hi"

Being rocked to sleep by daddy during a traumatic teething moment

Hanging out at Lake Harriet

One thing is for certain - Addison is never short of attention; as soon as we step outside the neighbor kids make a bee-line for the baby. This weekend they made an umbrella fort during a quick rain shower

Leo did a dance to Singin' in the Rain!

Flying kites after the rain shower

Addison's big 1st birthday bash!

2009-07-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 11th was Addison's big 1-year birthday party in our back yard and it went off without a hitch! We couldn't have scripted it better ourselves - from the perfect weather, the wonderful friends and neighbors, Addison's fantastic mood all day and even the Zeman's bouncy castle, a huge surprise and big bonus for all the kids!

DJ and I both took Friday off of work, and with Grammie Pam in town, we had some extra help running around that day tying up all the loose ends with the food, party favors, cakes (yes, plural - Addison had her own personal cake, and the rest of us got a sheet cake) and decorations. Saturday morning was perfect and clear and we got an early start in setting everything up. Our yard was slowly transformed into a balloon filled oasis!

We had about 45 guests (adults, kids, babies) who gathered for a casual and festive BBQ, with cake and presents that followed. We were kind of worried that Addison would be overwhelmed by all the excitement and people, but she had an absolute blast! She loved every minute if it and didn't even show signs of wanting to go down for a nap. The sugar from the cake likey helped propel her through the day. All the older kids catered to her, so DJ and I were able to socialize with our guests. The kids had a ball juping in the bouncy castle (we are SO getting one) and recieved gift bags before they left.

All in all it was a great day, and we are so thankful for the friends, family and neighbors who helped us celebrate Addison's big bash. As we look around at all our neighbors' backyards, we can still see random balloons tied here and there on people's decks that the kids took home, a nice reminder of a special day.

Funny moment on Friday at the pediatrician's

for her 12 month check-up - this was right before 4 shots :(

She is doing great!

Addison's first spaghetti dinner. She also switched from

breastmilk to whole milk without a hitch - such a trooper!

An after-bath faux hawk on Friday night

A quiet moment before the guests arrived on Saturday

Everything is set and looking good

Party time!

Presents!

In the bouncy castle

The Target baby buddies

This was after everyone left - we couldn't resist the crown.

Clearly, Addison did not agree!

Shana's visit

2009-07-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

Auntie Shana came for a 4th of July weekend visit and we had fun! Addison smiled right off the bat when she saw Shana, which is funny becasue usually she takes a bit to warm up to people. Shana came baring gifts and lots of playtime for Addison. We had fun just being together, going out for lunch, playing at the lake, hanging at Jeff and Natalie's, cooking and sitting out on the patio all night on the 4th of July. This past weekend Addison developed a major obsession with balloons and lights. She can turn lights off and on and gets very excited about it. She points and makes "ooh, ooh" noises at both the balloons and the lights. She has also started attempting to sing along when we do "Itsy Bitsy Spider", it's so cute! You can tell she is trying to say spider, and she does it in a sing-sing voice. I will definitely try to capture that on video. There's been more teething action too, so we suspect the eye-teeth will be popping through pretty soon. She's definitely turing into a little girl, no longer a baby. Amazing, and sort of sad, but SO much fun! I took the day off from work on Monday and just spent the whole day with her. I cherish those rare weekdays together! Wish I could do it every day, especially during this time of rapid growth and change.

Relaxing on Jeff and Natalie's roofdeck lounge

Getting tickled by a plant

In her new jammies from Shana

Addison's first tortilla chip - no salsa!

The big girl car seat

Playing at Lake Calhoun

Shimmying and shaking

Happy Birthday Addison!

2009-07-02T19:10:00.001-07:00

We can't believe our baby girl is a year old! July 2nd 2008 easily marks the best day of our lives to date, and we were so excited when we woke up this morning to greet Addison on her first birthday. She slept until 6:45am, so that in itself was a huge treat for us - WE had to wake HER up. We immediately turned on the video camera to capture her first moments as a one-year-old, and took her downstairs to check out our gift to her - her very own play kitchen! She was sleepy, but we think she liked it.

Addison spent the day at Grandma's house and DJ and I headed over there after work for a birthday celebration. Grandma had fun pink decorations up everywhere and balloons with Addison's name on them. Addison feasted on meat loaf, scallop potatoes and broccoli salad. Talk about comfort food! She loved it, couldn't get enough. She topped it off with a strawberry, blueberry and kiwi tort with vanilla ice cream. Her first taste of true, straight-up sugar surely won't be forgotten, but will NOT be a regular occurence. Only special occasions like this one. :) Well, that's the plan anyway...

Auntie Shana comes in later this evening (11:55pm to be exact), so stay tuned for pics from a fun weekend with her. The weather promises to be pleasant. Happy birthday to Addison, and happy 4th of July!

Patty-cake and the new kitchen!

Birthday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's

On her tip-toes pushing her new shopping cart

Grandma/Grandpa Barat's home-made silly birthday card

Fruit tort!

Morning sleepy-head

Kisses from Callie

The first of many birthday presents

2009-06-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

Addison received the first of what we're sure to be her many birthday presents - a baby laptop from Auntie Kaili! When Kaili was here visiting in May, Addison was obsessed with her laptop. Accordingly, Kaili thought a computer of Addison's own would be a good idea. She was right! We've taken the thing everywhere - in the car, into restaurants, into the bathroom in the morning when we're getting ready for work and it's provided endless entertainment. Thank you Kaili!

Addison's "walking" skills are getting more advanced each day. It shouldn't be long now, though we're thinking around 14 months or so. The more and more people we talk to, the more we're finding that many babies don't walk until that 14th or 15th month. We shall see!

Step, step, step....

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Tired, going to bed, but the quick and dirty rundown of the weekend is....

Friday - Mom and Dad's night out, Addison overnight at Grandma/Grandpa Barat's
Saturday - Dad golf, Mom and Addison swim/play date with Sonia and Isabella
Saturday night - Father's Day dinner with Grandma/Grandpa Barat at our house
Sunday - Mom, Dad and Addison playing and relaxing; Addison's "1 year photos" with Erika had to be postponed until Tuesday due to weather

Good night!

Summer!

2009-06-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun this weekend - Logan was in town all week and got to meet his sister for the first time. He brought her presents and everything, so she was an immediate fan. We went to the 1st birthday party of Addison's buddy Maxwell (middle name Barrack - is it obvious that his parents are Democrats?) at the most amazing park in Southwest Minneapolis with a zero-grade wading pool with fountains in the center. The water was CHILLY, but should be all warmed up by later in the summer.

We spent a ton of time outside becasue the weather was so nice. Our back yard is looking a lot like a park these days, so instead of heading off to one, we had a picnic out in the grass and set up Addison's own personal wading pool. Abby, Alice and Anna were quick to throw on their suits and help Addison splash in the pool. Again, the water was CHILLY, but it didn't stop or little water baby from crawling right in. Yes, in case you're wondering, we did slather her with sunscreen and then put a hat on her when the girls' mom recommended it. :)

Addison has a newfound respect for Elmo - he is one of the funniest guys she knows. Check out the clip below, or on Flickr for a longer one where she is actually imitating his moves! http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethbarat/3629050296/

Our flowers in bloom

Maxwell's bday

Fun outside

Pool time

Elmo fan

Trying to stand

Quick weekend update - 11 months old!

2009-06-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been cool and rainy, a welcome relief to our parched lawn and yard. DJ and I, along with his parents, took in a show of the Phantom of the Opera on Saturday. That was the 5th time I've seen it, and it never gets old - I love it! I'm busy dowloading my favorite tunes from the musical so Addison can listen to them on her iPod. :) We left Addison with our neighbors Gwen and John and their 3 girls (future babysitters) who adore Addison. She likely had the best afternoon of her life. When we walked in to get her, the girls were surounding her, playing with stuffed animals, putting on a puppet show, reading her books, hiding behind forts made from blankets - she looked like she was in heaven.

Just over the last week Addison has become increasingly active and a bit more daring, getting into drawers, closing doors, pulling up on the stereo cabinet to mess with the buttons and pointing at absolutely everything in sight. She's even been taking a few little steps forward while holding onto our hands.

Around 8:30am on Sunday we got a phone call from Mara saying Mike got called into work and that she needed help with Eliana - 18 months. Mara had a c-section, so I can only imagine how difficult it is 8 days after surgery having to chase and lift a 22 pounder. So we hung out at the Antonoffs until Mara's mom could come over. Addison took a GREAT nap there and then snacked and played with Eliana. Oh, and she popped another little pearly white tooth on the top right!

Swinging at the lake last weekend

Mara and new baby Sam - Addison was so gentle with him!

Fun new stacking blocks

Baby steps - sorry for the sideways show below!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

It's Monday night and we're turning in for the evening, but not without thinking back on the wonderful time we had this long weekend. I already miss Addison after being with her all day for 4 days straight! Well, minus Saturday night....

Our good friend Kaili, who hasn't seen Addison since September of last year, came in for a visit on Thursday evening. Kaili and I have been friends since I was five and she was three and have many great memories of growing up together - putting on plays, making up dances to a million songs, devouring Sweet Valley Twins and Babysitter's Club books, attempting to start our own "Babysitters Club" when we were barely able to pour ourselves a bowl of cereal, believing in Unicorn Land, dressing in matching outfits, torturing our little brothers - stories that we'll share with Addison someday. Our memories from our teenage years will not be shared with Addison, or any other child for that matter, but it's fun to look back and laugh now. After Addison's initial shyness (long story!), she and Kaili quickly became best buds and the four of us, DJ included, really enjoyed spending time together. We went on walks, Kaili cooked a great meal for us on Friday, went to Lurcat on Saturday night followed by a party at Natalie and Jeff's, had a picnic on Sunday...just had a ton of fun and with great weather to top it all off! We're trying to get Kaili to come during the winter, just to see if she could handle it. She refuses. :)

Kaili headed back to Washington state on Sunday, but Monday was an equally fun day. Between going to the gym and Addison's nap schedule, we ran some errands, worked in the yard, went to the park and then headed over to our friends Mike and Mara's for a BBQ. Mara is insane for wanting to host a BBQ, but she insisted on it before going in on Thursday to deliver, via c-section, her second baby - a boy. Poor Mara is about to pop and was having contractions now and again, but the company and relaxing afternoon actually helped take her mind off of things. They have a gorgeous patio and outdoor fireplace where we parked ourselves on a huge lounge chair and just chilled. Addison was in heaven being outside and was a party animal who didn't want to go to sleep. We're so excited for Mike and Mara and it was great to see them before the big day on Thursday.

Addison is growing and changing so rapidly. She's not doing a traditional hands and knees crawl, but she scoots around so fast in her modified army crawl and is discovering cupboards, cabinets and electrical outlets. Don't worry, we have them covered. She's also started pointing at everything over the past week or so - it's very cute. So currently we are busy naming everything in sight. Her little legs get sturdier all the time and she's much more inclined to want to stand up and bounce these days. She continues to have fun at swim lessons, but they won't let us snap pictures until the last class so stay tuned.

My little bookworm

Our flowers blooming

Everyone says she should be in commercials :) Look at that face!

Leave me alone people, I'm blogging

On our way to a girl's lunch

Addison testing out her big girl car seat

Saturday night

Picnic time

Addison fell asleep holding Kali's hand on the way to the airport on Sunday

Natalie and Addison - BBQ at Mara and Mike's

Lounging it

Spring in the neighborhood

2009-05-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

One thing we love about Minnesota is the Spring - gorgeous weather, beautiful flowering trees, the neighbors out and about...and Addison LOVES to be outside. We've been putting a lot of work into the yard lately (thanks to a visit from the yard nazis, thank you very much!) and are enjoying the results daily. We're looking forward to a visit from Kaili starting on Thursday, and a relaxing long Memorial Day weekend.

See the cardinal?

Gopher assasination

Eating grass

Addison's future babysitters playing in our yard

Get me in the bath!

Putting together the patio furniture
AND...we're done

Playing with Anna in the backyard

Books!

Alice and Anna - our adorable neighbors

Visiting Grandma Helen

Quick pics

2009-05-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

No time to write, but here are a few recent pics of the babe...

Strawberry fields forever...

2009-05-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Addison's favorite fruit - the red, ripe, juicy strawberry, now in season! Gorgeous weather graced us with it's presence this weekend. Between raking the yard, clipping the lilac bushes, killing dandelions in the grass and washing the windows on the house (SO needed after a long winter - what a difference!), we managed to take Addison out for dinner on Friday night, hit swim lessons, take a couple of nice long walks with Callie, have a picnic at Lake Calhoun and make a DELICIOUS Sunday dinner of chimichurri pork tenderloin, szechuan green beans and cilantro jasmine rice. Yum! Oh, and Addison turned 10 months on Saturday! Only 2 more months before the big one-year. We're already planning.....

Weekend update

2009-04-27T05:07:00.000-07:00

Addison had her first official swimming lesson on Saturday morning. She was a champ, of course. Actually, the lesson was kind of boring, and nothing we haven't done with her before. If anything though, it's a good opportunity for some social interaction with the other kids. She and another 10 month old boy (twice her size he was!) were the youngest of the bunch, but they were so cute! No pictures are allowed until the last lesson - boo! On Saturday night we took DJ's parents out to dinner as a "thank you" for being the very regular babysitters - every Friday, and some overnights on the weekends as well. Addison was very well behaved and loved looking around at everything going on. We caught a funny video clip of her lounging back in her high chair, bopping her head up and down. Funny! Sunday we had brunch with Ryan and Heidi and their two girls, Olivia and Kendra. The girls were very generous in digging up some "baby" toys and sending them home with Addison, including a little purple sled that will be perfect for next winter - but we're not counting down the days until then or anything....hello Spring!

Before swim lessons on Saturday morning

At Cafe Lurcat

Playing with the big girls

Army Crawl

2009-04-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

We're betting that Addison is about one week away from a true crawl. She's been doing the army crawl, especially if you put something she wants (like the cell phone) JUST out of her reach. We caught this attempt after we'd been setting her up all night, so she was a bit crabby. :) That's my girl!

Daddy's girl!

Weekend morning ritual - music and coffee in the living room while Addison hangs on the floor with her toys

Celebrating my bday

Easter weekend

2009-04-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was a fun, but quick one! We wanted to take advantage of the nice weather, so Saturday afternoon we headed over to the Como Zoo in St. Paul for a look at the animals, a walk around the park and a picnic. Unfortunately a bunch of the animals (giraffes, elephants, dolphins) weren't out for the season yet, but Addison did get to look at all the monkeys, lions, pengunis and sea lions. The sea lions were definitely her favorite - she laughed and laughed as they showed off for the crowd of people watching them.

On Easter morning Addison fought Callie off while she dug through her Easter basket pulling out rubber duckies and stuffed bunnies. We buzzed out to Heather and Guy's for Easter brunch and had a great time hangning out with everyone. Back home now, with DJ glued to the Master's tournament and me procrastinating getting some work done. I just need one more day!

Malia
Carly hugging AddisonCarly and Malia acting like bunnies
Heather and Cassie

9 months old!

2009-04-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

April 2nd marked Addison's 9th month of life. Can you beleive it? It's insane how fast time is flying by! On April 3rd we went to our 9 month check-up and Addison received a gold star of health and development! For some reason she is typically extremely happy at the pediatrician's office - it probably has something to do with the huge fishtank she's mesmerized by in the waiting area. She weighed in at 18 lbs, 8 oz. and she's 27 3/4 inches long - right in the 50-75% range for her age. The pediatrician made a guesstimate that Addison would start walking at around 12 months based on the strength in her legs and the amount she's pulling up on things at this point. We'll see...I say it will be a bit later.

Solid foods are still going really well. She's eating a bit of egg yolk now (no whites for babies until they're over a year) and her new fave is blueberries. Brenda (Addison's care provider) asked me today if Addison ever fed Callie. I said no, but was shocked when she told me that she's learned to feed their little dog Annabelle! Brenda says she'll feed herself a Cheerio, then hold one out to the dog. I've got to see this one! Mike, Brenda's husband, confirmed this and stated "She's really coordinated!" Too funny. Brenda is also working a lot with Addison on drinking from a sippy cup - she mastered it today by holding onto the full cup on her own, tilting it up, drinking, putting it down and then repeating. She got a big round of applause from Brenda on that one.

The other adorable new development is waving bye-bye. She doesn't do it 100% of the time, but when she feels like it she takes her little hand (the right one) and opens and closes her chubby fingers to say goodbye. The first time I saw her do it as I was leaving for work brought me to tears! I'm going to try and capture that on a video clip soon.

Check out Addison and her growing abilities in the standing department!

We love the BOB baby jogging stroller - can't wait for warmer weather!

Pics from the park

2009-03-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

This time of year in MN is very frustrating - Spring makes a teasing appearance one day, then Winter is thrown back into your face the next. Last weekend was in the high 60's, but it's been in the 30's/40's (at a high) for the past week, including this weekend. Oh well. Despite the return of the chill, we made a trip or two to the park this weekend to get the little monkey some fresh air. Mostly Addison just loves watching other kids - big or small. She's also growing in her independence. At this point she'll hardly let us feed her. When we do manage to accomplish a feeding, we have to give her a spoon to hang on to while we sneak bites in here and there with another one. She can basically feed herself with the spoon though, it just has to be thick enough food that she gets it into her mouth instead of everywhere else. Finger foods are the predominant items on the high chair tray now - chicken, banans, blueberries, grapes, cooked veggies, tofu, avocado, pasta, cheese, Cheerios...there's nothing she doesn't like, especially if it means she has the chance to feed herself. We've nicknamed her "MJ" for mini-Jabba (as in, the Hutt). Mean, I know, but it's DJ's thing. He says she looks like a little Jabba the Hutt as she reahes, grabs and shovels food into her mouth, followed by a grunt. HA! So mean, and she doesn't really grunt, DJ just likes to throw that in there. She's learning to stand on her own while holding on to furniture/toys too, but still hasn't started to crawl. Her little personality is becomong more defined as well - one word...FEISTY!! She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and do NOT help her with anything. She's even trying to dress herself now! She pulls her shirts on and off over her head. Ahhhh...just think of the terrible 2's!

Fun at the park

Practicing standing

Weekend fun

2009-03-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend Addison had lots of fun. She's been eating more finger foods and learning to self-feed quite well. She fed herself bananas, cottage cheese, cereal and chicken this weekend - she's VERY proud, as you'll see.

She's also ALMOST crawling, so stay tuned over the next few weeks for a clip of that - hopefully. She pivots around all over the place, and can get her but up in the air. It's just a matter of putting the pieces together now.

We had some of Addison's friends (all boys!) over on Saturday for a little play date. Addison is technically the oldest (by a few days), but definitely the tiniest! We seem to think she's so hefty, but in comparison to these big boys, she's really just a little peanut. We made a baby/stroller caravan to the park down the street from our house and Addison went on the baby swing all by herself. Sorry, I didn't get pictures of that, but definitely will. She is just SO happy to be outside, it's fun to see.

On Sunday we met Beth for coffee and I swear, I've never seen Addison sit in someone's lap so content for so long. She was cracking us up with her funny laugh, smiles and general clowning around.

Kellen and Addison...practicing for Easter

Sawyer - crawling around like a champ!

Hanging out with Beth

Spring is (finally!) in the air

2009-03-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo! The sun was out and the air was slightly warm today. Addison was so excited to be outside in the wind and sunshine after brunch with Natalie and Jeff. We're all looking forward to warmer days ahead....

New "firsts" for Addison

2009-03-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Addison has taken to eating Cheerios on her own. Her small motor skills get more refined by the day, and that little pincer grasp is coming along nicely. Another first for Addison this past week was a bath without mom or dad in the tub with her. She loved splashing around on her own. Before we know it she'll be showering!

Pictures and Video Clips from Palm Springs

2009-03-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful trip to Palm Springs last week. DJ played SIX rounds of golf, I enjoyed a spa day with Shana, we swam, relaxed in the sun, ate and drank good food, wine and cocktails, and spent quality time with family. The 80 degree weather was a perfect escape from the winter cold in Minnesota, and an especially great way to celebrate DJ's birthday. It was SO nice to walk around outside at night in shorts and flip flops. We returned to lovely 4 degree weather, and anxiously await or next trip in September for Grant and Stacy's wedding! As usual, Addison was a great traveler. Now we have to get her a passport so she can travel internationally! ;)

Baby Belly Laughs

2009-02-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

Though we're inclined to act like idiots to get Addison to laugh, when she does it's music to our ears!

Kickie From Kenickie

2009-02-07T12:50:00.001-08:00

Sorry family, I know it's been a couple weeks since we posted new pictures of the big girl. Can you believe she's 7 months old already? Life/work has been busy for mom and dad, but I'm taking a few moments on this lovely balmy Saturday (we're up to about 40 degrees!) to update the old blog.

One of Addison's favorite things to do is slam her legs down onto whatever surface she's lying on as hard as she can - especially when we're changing her diaper! We call her "Kickie from Kenickie", though not quite sure what that means...besides the slimy guy from Grease. :)

Googly eyes!

I'm 7 months old! This was taken on Feb 2

She still loves Goodnight Moon....

and continues to be a great eater. Favorites include cauliflower, corn, peas and prunes! Gets excited when the highchair rolls around.

O-BA-MA!

2009-01-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

It was an historic week in US history for sure. Tuesday's inauguration was an exciting and emotional day. Addison rocked her Obama one-sie, courtesy of Auntie Kaili, and got into the spirit of the event. I was actually home sick that day, which sucked, but at least I got to see everyting live on TV. Unfortunately Addison caught my cold and spent the later part of the week, and weekend, coughing, sneezing, crying and...TEETHING! She sprouted a tooth on Friday which is very exiciting, but sad because she's clearly in pain. Nights have been rough too. We put her to sleep in her carseat (looks really uncomfortable) becasue it's the only way she can get any relief from the snot and coughing. Anyway, the cold seems to be winding down, so hopefully in a few days it will be gone altogether. On a happier note, Addison's sitting up skills are getting better and better, although Saturday night she took a few topples and bonked her head on the floor (carpeted with several blankets as well, so don't worry) causing a couple of crying spells.

This one's for you Auntie Kaili!

I was trying to get a picture of her in sick mode here
Where's Addison?

There she is!

I'm sitting up!

Teething and tired

I need Tylenol, NOW!!!!!

OK, thank you. Now leave me alone.

It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!

2009-01-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

We joined the Y a few months ago and are really enjoying all it has to offer. The next baby swim lessons start in late February, but in the meantime we thought we'd take Addison for a dip in the pool once in a while. Sunday mornings are a GREAT time to hit the Y - everyone is at church so it's totally empty.

Our friend Tim's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but we celebrated on Saturday night when Holly, Mike and little Jesse (9 months) were visiting from Chicago. The festivities started at around 6pm so the little ones were on their way to meltdown-city. But the pack n' plays were ready and waiting for the sleepy-heads.

Holly and Addison

Addison with the birthday boy

Daddy daycare

Meltdown time

Of all the toys and gadgets this kid has, a water bottle filled with rice remains her favorite toy!

She LOVES to drink water from any glass she can get her hands on. This was at lunch at YUM on Sunday.

Almost sitting up

2009-01-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

It's been in the works for a few weeks now, but this weekend Addison held herself upright on her own several times, the longest period being about a minute. She does pretty well then tips over eventually, usually scaring herself a bit. BUT she gets up and tries again - she's getting the hang of it!

Another first this weekend was Addison staying overnight with DJ's parents. We'll admit we were freaking out a bit just knowing that she wasn't going to be peacefully sleeping in the next room, but we did have a great time out with friends and it was pure heaven to sleep in until 7am. All went well with Addison at the grandparents', but she woke up REALLY early there so was off her typical patterns all day. We knew the overnight had to happen at some point, so we're just relieved we got through it without lying awake all night weeping! :)

We broke down and purchased the illustrious ExcerSaucer for Addison today and I have to say it's pretty cool! It promises to offer endless hours of fun with all of it's bells and whistles - literally.

Happy New Year - 6 months old tomorrow!

2009-01-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and 1/2 Birthday to Addison! How time has flown. 6 more months and she'll be a year - unbelievable! We had a few days off after Christmas, and now a few more after the new year. We're reveling in this time because it's along dry spell until the next 3 day weekend in May.

Grant and Stacy stopped in for a couple of days before they flew back to L.A. and we had a really nice time visiting with them. Addison was entertained by the new faces/playmates and received a second round of gifts! DJ drove G&S to the airport at 5am on the the 30th and luckily they were the first flight out - it snowed all day and a ton of flights got delayed. We'll see them in February and then not until their wedding in September!

We rang in the new year with a lobster and crab dinner and one last evening in front of the Christmas tree. New Year's day was spent relaxing, taking a long walk, going out to lunch and disassembling the living room decorations during Addison's naps. We're looking forward to a long weekend, and even more forward to the coming year with our growing girl....

Addison and her baby doll

Green Beans

At daddy's office

Grant & Stacy's visit

New Year's Eve

New Year's Day - Snow Angel!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

Addison's first Christmas was even better than we anticipated, especially because of the fact that DJ and I had 5 whole days off from work to spend with our little Christmas Bear! We got up super early on Christmas Eve and headed back out to the Santa at the mall, and lo and behold the line was only about 10 minutes long at 8am. Wa-hoo! We finally got Addison's picture with Santa and it was as cute as we anticipated. There was a lady there shaking bells and dancing around, so Addison did crack a smile. When we got home we literally spent the whole day prepping and cooking for dinner that evening with DJ's parents. The Barats came over and we had fun watching Addison try to stuff wrapping paper into her mouth with the opening of every gift. She got spoiled of course, and raked in the new toys. When she went down for the night we enjoyed dinner and wine....DJ and I woke up Christmas morning and opened presents with Addison, then took a snooze while she took her morning nap. So nice! I never nap. Later that evening we headed to the Barats' for more celebrating and dinner with Guy, Heather, Carly and Cassie. All in all a great holiday and we still have another day left. Grant and Stacy will be here tomorrow so more to come. Also, we took some video (with our new video camera!) and will be transfering to a CD and sending on to family soon. Stay tuned!

Waiting in line for Santa

A little worried

The final shot

Christmas Eve

Christmas Morning

Christmas Night

DJ looks good with 2!

Winter Weather

2008-12-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

It's been crazy cold here - RIDICULOUSLY cold! Who has even heard of temperatures getting down to 35 degrees below zero (with windchill)? Anyway, it's really cold. However, Saturday was beautiful with an all-day snowfall and temperatures at just freezing. We bundled the baby up and took her out for a winter stroll. Callie came along too. It's her favorite time of year to book it through the streets and people's yards, tearing through mounds of snow.

Addison received a fun gift from Grammie Pam on Friday - her very own chair with her name embroidered on it. Thanks Grammie! She likes to sit in it and "read" (chew) on her books, while Callie looks on longingly, hoping for an in to be able to jump up and share the new space.
On Saturday I hosted bookclub to discuss "Water for Elephants." Everyone agreed this book is now on our top five EVER! I highly recommend it, so go out and read it! Erin brought her son Max who was born 3 weeks before Addison. They rolled around on the floor together and made cute baby noises until Addison got crabby and had to go to bed. Apparently Max is a night owl/party animal who stays up until 10:30pm. Yikes! I'll take Addison's 7:30pm bedtime, thank you very much.

I'm not a fan of intentionally posed baby portraits, but I really feel like Addison should have her picture taken with Santa for her first Christmas. It's fun! Mostly I want to see how she'll react to a big white beard in her face. After I finally convinced DJ that this is a necessity of the holiday, we got the baby all dolled up, faced the negative 35 degree day and trudged out to the nearest mall. When we arrived at the Santa photo counter, the lady sitting there immediately said "You're not going to like what I have to tell you - the wait is 4 1/2 hours long." She sure was right about that. So after we turned down her offer to give us a beeper to let us know when our turn was up (like we were going to cruise around the mall for 4 1/2 hours with a 5 month old), we headed out and decided to try after work on Tuesday...cross your fingers!

Callie in her prime

Before Book Club
Max & Addison

All dressed up for Santa

Addison's First Meal

2008-12-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

After weeks of grabbing for our food and watching intently as we took each bite, Addison was finally able to enjoy her very own meal. And what a meal it was! Who wouldn't want a tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with breast milk - YUM! Although it was little more than soupy mush, Addison was curious and ate the mush enthusiastically. We propped her up in her high chair, rolled the camera and as soon as the spoon got near her mouth, she opened up like a little bird and in went the cereal. So exciting! She opened up again and again, and when she'd had enough, she simply turned her head away. She made a few funny faces, like "what the hell am I eating", but if I had to make a guess I'd say she'll be a pretty good eater. We went out and bought a make-your-own-baby-food cookbook and have every intent of going that route - cheaper and healthier. We'll see.... She'll stick to rice cereal once a day for a few weeks and then we'll introduce other (but likely more tasty) forms of mush - peas, carrots, bananas. We can't wait, and can't believe that this stage in development is already here. So the video clip is a bit too long to post here, but if you go out to Flickr you might be able to pull it up there...good luck.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethbarat/3110752180/

A few cute pictures from over the weekend. Oh, and we got a TON of snow!!! It's currently -23 degrees with the windchill. Fun.

Morning sleepyhead

One of the first bites

Being entertained by Callie