Monday, May 31, 2010

Scott decided to take Friday afternoon off, so our holiday weekend started a little early.  Scott took Addison and Fischer to lunch, and to do some other things, while I stayed home and worked on a few projects. Then later that night, I got another break and went to see a movie for the first time since last June. I almost forgot how much I love seeing movies in the theater!

Saturday morning, my parents came for a quick one night visit. As usual, Addison and Fischer loved the extra attention, and we all had a nice, relaxing time!


In between thunderstorms on Saturday, we went over to Jim and Dianne's house to look at all of the flowers they've planted - it looks like it should be in a magazine! Addison loves going over there because they have a lot of dogs, and she loves dogs! We took a family picture with the flowers as a background, and their dog Raven decided to join us. Raven is Addison's favorite, and I think Raven is pretty fond of Addison too.


As soon as we got there, Addison took off chasing Raven and Coco...


Fischer immediately found the sprinkler, so Scott turned it on for him and he had a blast playing in the water. He loves playing in water!


Here are Addison, Fischer and Raven playing together.


Yesterday, we spent the day relaxing at home, and gearing up for our big outing this morning! We decided to try out Addison and Fischer's new floats and went swimming at Jim and Dianne's lake lot on Lake Wateree. We ate lunch there, then headed home for the rest of the day. Our original plan was for Scott to get in the water with them, while I took pictures and just watched them have fun (I'm not a huge fan of lake swimming).  Once we got them in the water though, Addison was crying (we think because the water was a little cold at first) so I decided to get in so we could each swim around with one baby.  After a couple of minutes, she was loving it. We stayed in the water for about 30 minutes and we all had a great time. We'll definitely be doing it again soon!


Even though it stormed everyday over the weekend, we managed to get in a lot of outside time in between storms.

In other news, Addison's 9th tooth has broken through - the first of her molars. I'm pretty sure she's getting another one tonight because she's been crying on and off for the past hour. Fischer still has 11 teeth but I think his 12th (his 4th molar) will be here soon!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

I have been working on this for awhile, so I wanted to share it with you. Addison is doing it now too, but I haven't gotten it on video. I am a huge college football fan, so this makes me very proud! :)


Thursday, May 27, 2010

There are a few new words to add to Addison and Fischer's word lists. Addison is now saying "pen" for open, and she says "nah" for no all the time. I think I put that on her previous list, but she now says it A LOT. Today I said, "Addison, bring me your shoe." And she said "nah" and walked away from me. Let the "no!" fun begin! Fischer now says "ga" for car (it sounds like he's from Boston), "lello" for yellow and "baa" for bowl. He has also said "on," "off" and "up." It just amazes me how they are saying new words almost daily.

What also amazes me is how many things they understand that we say to them. They are now following directions (sometimes). On one of their toys there is a light switch... they have both turned it on and off after I asked them to! They've also put their letters in their play mailbox, and opened and closed the door.

The other day, it was around 11:30 am. We eat lunch at noon... I said "what do you want for lunch?" to them, and they both started crying and going to the table. Oops. Now I know I can't say lunch or snack unless I am prepared to give it to them very quickly. They also know what "You need a new diaper" means and have recently started walking or crawling away form me when I say that. I can't believe we are already having to spell things!

Each night, we let them play in their diapers before bath time. They know what it means when I say "are you ready to take your clothes off?" They will both start pulling on their shirts and get frustrated when they can't do it without help. I'm sure they will be able to take their clothes off soon enough. They can already take their diapers off, so that's a lot of fun too. :)

They are both getting better at holding my hand while walking, so I think we'll have to try it out in public soon. It seems that they revert to crawling if they are in a new place or situation, so I'm not quite sure how it will work out, but it's worth a try!


Tuesday, May 25, 2010

We had a fun day today! We had a "playdate" with Madison and McKenzie. McKenzie is almost 5 months old and Addison and Fischer loved looking at her and saying "bebe."

Here is a video from this morning.


Monday, May 24, 2010

It's hard to believe it's Monday already. The weekends go by so fast! Saturday, we had some friends come visit for a few hours. We all went to the local horse show where we learned that Addison and Fischer love watching horses! It was raining so I didn't take my camera, but I wish I had some pictures. They were both laughing and bouncing while we were there. It looks like we'll be going back there soon! 

Sunday we relaxed at home, then met some friends for dinner. It's becoming harder to take Addison and Fischer out to eat. We had a good time,  but we definitely reached their time limit of being in the high chairs. They are fine as long as food is in front of them, which sometimes results in them eating way too many cheerios and/or goldfish.  Thanks to Melissa and Ryan for being patient with all of us. :)

Yesterday, Addison and Fischer got to wear their kimonos that Scott got them while he was in Japan. 



We've also been "practicing" holding hands while walking. I figured they should get used to it, so we've been walking around the house with them while holding their hands. The first few times, they automatically pulled their hands away and wanted to walk on their own. After they realized what we were doing, they've been much better about actually holding on to our hands. Hopefully this prepares us for when they are walking in public, which I'm sure will be very soon! 

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Addison and Fischer are 15 months old today. I feel like we just had their first birthday party, so it's very hard for me to believe that it's already been 3 months since then! Here are two pictures from today - one where Addison is looking at the cameara, and one where Fischer is sort of looking at the camera, but more at Scott who was trying to get his attention. It's becoming very difficult to get a picture where they are both looking at the camera!



In honor of turning 15 months old, here are 15 fun facts:

1.  Addison wears a size 4 diaper.
2.  Fischer wears a size 3 diaper (we tried size 4 and they were too big).
3.  They both drink about 18 ounces of milk a day (whole for Fischer and soy for Addison).
4.  They are both still napping twice a day, at 9 and 2.
5.  Fischer loves any kind of chip as a snack.
6.  Addison loves pickles.
7.  Fischer has 11 teeth.
8.  Addison has 8 teeth.
9.  Both Addison and Fischer are walking most of the time now!
10. They both had their first taste of juice last week (aside from the tiny bit of apple juice they had, and didn't like, a few weeks ago).
11. Addison thinks dogs are the best thing ever.
12. Fischer loves loud noises.
13. Fischer seems to have a crush on Giada de Laurentiis on The Food Network - he stops in his tracks if she is on TV.
14. Addison still loves to be held.
15. We are extremely lucky that both are good eaters. We realize they will probably become pickier with time (Fischer has already gotten pickier than he was) but for now we enjoy that they eat really well!


Here is a picture from a year ago! They have changed SO much!


Friday, May 21, 2010

I couldn't help but laugh when doing this video as Addison "politely" informed me that her diaper was dirty. :)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Our pool arrived yesterday! Our baby pool, that is. This morning, Scott blew it up, and also got a tent to put over it to provide some extra shade. That way we don't have to worry (as much!) about sun screen! After lunch today, we tried it out. It was refreshing, and Addison and Fischer loved it!  Fischer loved splashing in the water while Addison enjoyed hanging on the sides of the pool. And when it was time to get out, they didn't even cry! :) I think we'll be spending a lot of time in this pool this summer!





A side note - Fischer added "cracker" to his list of words today. At lunch, Scott handed him a Ritz Cracker and he said "caacaa" without us even saying the word first! 

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Scott and Fischer went to Wal-Mart on Sunday to buy a bike trailer for Addison and Fischer to ride in. They ended up getting it for $20, instead of the $99 that we say on ebay! We love deals!  Scott rode them around the yard Sunday afternoon after he got it hooked up, but our first long ride was tonight after dinner.  They seemed to enjoy it and were close to falling asleep a few times!



They have also been busy playing in boxes, baskets and helping me clean!



Monday, May 17, 2010

While dealing with all of the stomach yuckiness last week (countless dirty diapers and other not-so-fun stuff), I needed something positive and happy to focus on. So, I decided to make a list of all the words that Addison and Fischer say, or have said. I've been meaning to do this for awhile, and last week seemed like the perfect time.

They have said all of the words on the list at least once, and most have been in context.  Some of the words they say daily, and others they've said only once or twice. Some of the words are said without prompting, and some are said in response to questions I ask them (for example, "what does a duck say?"). I don't think there is anything quite like the feeling of knowing that they actually understand the meaning of words they say that they've been hearing us say for awhile now!

I'm going to list the actual word, and then what it sounds like when they say it. I love it when I know exactly what they mean because they are also showing me... for instance, they both say "ba" for ball, but are usually holding a ball when they say it, so I know what they mean!

Addison's words:

Dog - "da"
Please - "peas"
No - "nah"
Dada - "dada"
Mama - "mama"
Bo (and this is what all dogs are called) - "bo"
Ball - "ba"
Water - "yaya"
Uh-oh - "uh-oh"
Sassy - "zizi"
Baby - "bebe"
Hi - "hi" (but it sounds very southern)
Moo - "mooo" or "booo" (so funny!)
Bye-Bye - "Bye Bye" or "Bah Bah" (this is the word she says the most)


Fischer's words:

Dog - "da"
Duck - "da"
Bird - "buh"
Open - "opa"
Dada - "dada"
Bo - "baa"
Ball "ba"
Book - "buh"
Sissy - "zizi"
Sassy - "zizi"
Elmo - "elma"
Uh-oh - "uh-oh"
I Love - "I ya" (Whenever I say "I Love You" he responds with "I Ya"
Hot Dog - "hot da"
No - "nah"
Baby - "baba"
Oval - "Ova"
Elephant - "Elf"
Button - "Buh buh"
Moo - "Booo" (this cracks me up!)
Quack Quack - "cack cack"
Bye-Bye - "Buh buh"


Fischer has more words right now. He's funny because he tries to repeat everything we say.  It's amazing to me how fast they catch on to what something is called! I think, before we know it, they will be chattering away all day long. And, I think Addison is soaking everything in, and will just start talking non-stop one day. :)  This list wasn't so that I could compare and see who is saying more words, but more for me to remember years from now what words they were saying at this age!

I'll be sure to keep an ongoing list so that I can update this list!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

After Scott cut the grass today, he took the babies on a ride through the sprinkler.  Fischer loved it, and kept laughing at the water.  Addison loved it, then hated it, then loved it, then hated it....  

Then we decided to let them play in the water and they had a great time. Addison was a little unsure at first, but Fischer got right in the water and kept sticking his head down so the water could spray him in face. He was very mad when it was time to come in! We had friends over for dinner so they had to come in and get some dry clothes on! I think we'll be playing in the sprinkler again very soon.

I'm not sure if it was because of our company, but Fischer walked a lot tonight! I think he was showing off. It's clear that he's gaining confidence, and he's walking faster and faster. And now that Addison is walking more than crawling, she gets to wear all of the dresses she has in her closet.  It was hard for her to wear them when she was crawling because her knees would get caught inside the dress and she would fall on her face, and that's never fun!









Friday, May 14, 2010

It's safe to say that there are now 2 walkers in our house. I finally got Fischer on video... he's very slow and cautious, but very proud! :)

Thursday, May 13, 2010

I think Fischer is finally on the mend. He ate his breakfast this morning, and drank almost an entire sippy cup of water, which is more than he drank all day yesterday! I tried giving him Pedialyte but he refused to drink that. Unfortunately, I think he shared his germs with Addison. Hopefully by tomorrow, everyone will be back to normal! These stomach bugs are no fun!

I am wondering if teething played a part of how bad Fischer felt. He was pretty fussy yesterday, as was Addison.  He opened his mouth wide enough at one point yesterday that I could see towards the back, and I saw a white spot. I was able to get my finger in and sure enough, Fischer had his first molar!! Last night, after bath time, he was really upset. Again, crying so hard that his mouth was wide open. I looked in there again and saw 2 more white spots. Yep, he got a total of 3 molars in one day. Poor thing. At least we got 3 out of the way in 1 day, which brings his total to 11 teeth. Hopefully it won't be as bad when Addison gets hers.

On another note, I became a member of the zoo today, so I'm excited to start taking Addison and Fischer there more!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Poor Fischer. For the past few days, we've been trying extra hard to get him to eat. He has eaten a little bit, but nowhere near what we are used to him eating.  Then today, he drank half of his milk, and Scott put him in his crib for a nap. We then heard him get sick. He definitely has an upset stomach, and I feel so guilty that I didn't know, and that I was trying so hard to make him eat. He has also been fussier than normal the past couple of days. It all makes sense now that I know his stomach is upset.

He had some toast tonight for dinner, and we are hoping he wakes up feeling all better tomorrow.  He hasn't had a fever, and we are hoping it stays that way. We are also hoping that whatever this is isn't contagious, and Addison will stay healthy!

I did let them watch a little extra TV today since Fischer was feeling so yucky. He loves TV, especially Mickey Mouse, Veggie Tales, Sid the Science Kid and the Food Network (just like his Daddy). Addison likes TV, but she will watch for a few minutes, then play with something else for awhile, then watch a little more TV.  Fischer will sit there, mesmerized, until the show is over. They normally watch one episode of one of these shows per day, while I am trying to get some housework done. I press play and have 30 minutes to get whatever I can done! :) Just the other day, I said "Do you want to watch Mickey?" and Fischer crawled as fast as he could to the TV and started screaming... I think he was saying "Hurry up, Mom!!"

Here they are, watching some Mickey.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Things have been busy around here, but we are finally unpacked and settled in our new house.  Addison and Fischer have been playing hard, as usual! Last night, I put together a new toy for them (with minimal help from Scott!) for them to wake up to this morning. A Mother's Day gift from me to them, I guess. :) They had fun playing with that all day today!


The toy has a little mail box on the right (with the yellow door) and it has 3 little plastic "letters" that go inside.  This morning, Fischer got one out of the mailbox, handed it to me and said "opa." It took me a few seconds, but I finally realized he was telling me to open the letter! He later walked over to the baby gate and said "opa" as he was pulling on it. He definitely knows what open means!

Unfortunately, Addison had a fever today of 100.8. We gave her some Tylenol and she took a nap and woke up feeling much better. We aren't sure what caused it, as she wasn't fussy at all. She was very tired and just wanted to lay down. We are wondering if she's getting a new tooth.  Here she is cuddling with her Daddy before her nap.

Tonight, Scott cooked a yummy Mother's Day dinner that included clam chowder and grilled shrimp.  Addison and Fischer both tried the clam chowder, and really liked it. Addison ate a couple little pieces of shrimp, but Fischer wouldn't eat his.  On that note, Fischer wouldn't eat much of anything today. He chose to play with his food instead. Fischer seems to be getting pickier by the day. We are hoping this is just a phase and that he will start eating better soon. Here is his tray, and Addison's clean tray after dinner.



I actually got them to sit still with me this afternoon just long enough for Scott to take a Mother's Day picture!


A few other updates:  Addison is walking faster and faster all the time. She has tried running a couple of times but always ends up on the floor. Fischer is taking more and more steps, and it's obvious he now wants to walk!

They are both wearing size 4 diapers now.  We ran out of size 3 and we have a closet full of size 4 diapers (thanks, Mom!) so we decided to give those a try. They are a little big on Fischer, but fit Addison pretty well. So, as long as we don't have any leaks or anything like that, we'll just keep using those!

One last picture for tonight...one of Addison's favorite things to do now is to climb on the chair, look out the window, and say "bye bye" over and over. :)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

We went to the zoo today, and Addison and Fischer were much more into the animals than last time, which was all the way back in October!

We went with my friend and her daughter, Rylan, who is 2 months younger than Addison and Fischer. It was funny watching the 3 of them together - they kept trying to hold hands in the strollers. Fischer had a good time pointing out his favorite fish... I think he was trying to impress Rylan.



I am looking forward to more trips to the zoo. I like it just as much as Addison and Fischer!

Fischer has taken an interest in walking again. I guess he noticed how much fun Addison is having and wants to join in. He is taking more and more steps, so I think there will be two walking babies around here very soon.

On a not so fun note, we have a little biting problem with Fischer. He has bitten Addision several times and left bruises.  He tried to bite Rylan today at the zoo. Luckily I caught him in time. I've been researching how to handle this online, but am open to any suggestions on how to handle this. This is not a fun habit!

Addison was worn out after our fun time this morning!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Scott got a new toy, and decided he'd share it with Addison and Fischer. They even got to go on a short ride, and both seemed to like it.



A few other updates: Addison's 8th tooth is coming in. We also finally have her "condition" taken care of. The apple juice didn't work... she refused to drink it if it wasn't almost completely diluted, and it gave her really bad diaper rash. So, after talking to the doctor, we decided to try her on Miralax. After playing with the dosage amounts, we finally got results last night, and Addison seems much happier!

Also, Addison is now officially a toddler. She is walking across rooms now!


Monday, May 3, 2010

We have moved, and are still unpacking. I am looking forward to being done and settled.  Luckily, we have two very willing helpers!



We made sure to get the living room cleared out and set up first so Addison and Fischer would have somewhere to play! They are liking their new playroom so far.


They also helped us get some stuff at Lowe's.