An Ending to A New Beginning

Dave is getting ready to be a full out Air Force man! He has been breaking in his boots and uniforms. I get a little teary eyed when I see him wearing it. He is currently growing out a beard until he passes his boards. Lets just say this Friday can't come soon enough! I know he'll do great and we'll be celebrating this weekend. I took Addison to Skyzone which is an indoor trampoline park and let her get her wiggles out. She mostly wanted to sit and eat a snack, but I convinced her that jumping was better. She kept trying to climb the wall and was doing a pretty good job at it! We've been getting an incredible amount of snow this winter. It has been so cold and snowy that I haven't wanted to take the girls out much. Poor Dave had to shovel the church this week and it snowed almost every single day! I got released today from being the primary secretary. When they called to tell me that they would be releasing me I got off the phone and started to really cry. I didn't think it was going to happen to fast and I still feel like we are going to be here a little bit longer. I organized all my things and finished up a few odd and ends and gave it all over to the new secretary. I have never felt like this before when getting released from a calling. I usually have felt ready and almost relieved to move onto another capacity. It was difficult for me to just hand over all my hard work and be done with it. I can't even express how many hours I've spent organizing spreadsheets full of classes, emails, birthdays, addresses, phone numbers...Even though it was a secretary calling I want my family to know when they read this that my testimony for this gospel has grown immensely throughout my time serving. I have developed a greater respect for the tithes and offerings that go into supporting programs like the primary and the activities involved. I feel a love for presidents who put so much time and energy praying and counseling for those that they are over. I have learned so much about how a ward supports each other and how presidencies work together to reach a common goal. I have a testimony that Jesus Christ cares so deeply for the one lost sheep as much as he does the other active 99. My heart is full of love for the primary program and the inspiration that is put into carrying it out throughout the year. I will look back at this time in my life and think that is the calling that I learned to "grow" up in. I dealt with uncomfortable situations and at times when I felt pulled in every direction with no spiritual fulfillment and the end of the day. I often felt like I just dealt with the numbers and the busy work all the time. I knew I needed to change my outlook or I was going to continue to be miserable. I then tried to look for ways to serve the members of the presidency and to make things easier on some of the teachers. I have learned that I love to serve. I feel blessed to have been given this opportunity and I really do feel that the Lord has his hand in all things.

Tea Party with a Side of Toilet

The other day I was busy making dinner and things were crazy. We had stayed home all day so toys and things were out everywhere. Addison really wanted to play tea party, but I needed to get dinner started before Dave got home. I got it out for her and handed it to her and got side tract. The next thing I know Addison is handing me a little cup and wants to do cheers. I cheers with her and take a sip of the water and hand it back. I then realize that I didn't fill her teapot up! I ask her where she got the water and she proudly replies, "The BIG potty!" Blahhh!! I almost puked. The toilet that she got it from doesn't flush very well and always has back flow issues. I guess I learned my lesson from being too busy to sit down and enjoy the moments that Addison wants to play with me!

Sisters

I love pulling out the clothes Addison wore and seeing them again on Avery. I put Avery in this dress that was one of my favorites on Addison and compared them. The hat was a little big on Avery, but they definitely look related! When we got these pictures taken of Addison I remember she would either sit there straight faced or stick her tongue out!

Growing Up...4 Months

Miss Avery Mae just turned 4 months! I keep thinking in the back of my mind that we're moving when she's around 6 months so it is quickly approaching. I went into the doctor's office for her well visit with huge dark circles. Something has happened to this poor child who already didn't really sleep very well. She has been getting up about every 2 hours since Christmas. I.AM.DYING! They  increased her antacid medicine which has seemed to help a little, but she just cries all the time now. Dave left to go study the other day and I didn't think I was going to make it through another day of crying. He ended up going and getting some gripe water which is suppose to help colic or fussy babies. So far I don't see that much improvement, but lets keep our fingers crossed. Avery is turning out to be a little bit of a petite lady. Most of her weight I think is in her cute cheeks. The little brown fuzz on her hair is starting to grow in more and she still has a thicker patch at the base of her head. She has the brightest dark eyes that just stare and look around. I think Avery is going to be an observer like her dad. She is a quiet baby when she's not crying and it takes a lot of coaxing to get her to giggle. When you raise her high above your hair and wiggle her back and forth she does a little chuckle. She also will laugh if you put a blanket over her face and pull it off really fast. Her eyes go bug eyed and then she smiles and laughs. Addison still LOVES to hold her all the time. When I put Avery in the bumbo Addison will push her all around the kitchen floor showing her new things. Her favorite is to push her up to the garbage can so she can see their reflections and make hand signs. Avery is mostly found on my hip or in my arms. I feel like I carry her a lot and for now that is ok. I am content to let Addison tear apart the family room while Avery snoozes in my arms and the dust collects. Avery's latest thing is that she needs to have a soft blanket over her face to sleep. Not just by her cheek, but literally over her face! It scared me at first, but she just falls right asleep (it's the staying asleep that's the problem). Addison was very concerned about Avery getting her shots at the doctors. She was very loving to Avery afterwards and was very sad when she was fussy from them. Cross your fingers that this gripe water works and I can get a little more sleep around here!

Weight: 13 lbs 10oz 48%

Height:

Head:

Passing the Days

Dave is studying like crazy and growing a grizzly beard until he takes his test (please hurry!). It is starting to warm up a little bit so we've bundled up and headed out for some walks. Addison still insists on bringing her stroller with her naked giant Ariel doll. Good news is that she can make it around the whole neighborhood without wanting to be carried! Avery is a champ all snuggled up in her marshmallow coat. She usually falls asleep half way and her binky starts to fog up:) The day that I can get Addison Michael to smile for a picture without 50 outtakes will be a great day! She got a pretty dress for Christmas and all I wanted was a picture! We got a whole lot of double chins and hip pop poses. Gotta love this blonde curly haired little lady! Not a whole lot is going on around here. Avery is about to turn 4 months tomorrow! Some days I think she is going to chew her fingers right off. I have never seen a baby eat her whole fist all the time like she does. I got her some new chew toys in hopes that she'll spare her fingers!

Favorite Things

I have favorite things that each of the girls do at different stages. Currently for Addison it's spying on her through the video monitor during her " quiet time ". She'll actually fall asleep maybe once or twice a week now. However, she has to stay in there during the duration of her soft music which is just under an hour. She ends up reading a lot of books and talking to herself . The other day she got on the floor and I heard her shouting my name over and over. When it changed from Mama to Emily I went to look on the monitor. All I could see was the tips of her toes from under her bed. She was good and stuck! When I finally release her from what she makes out as "jail time" she tells me, " you see me on the momitor." I laughed and thought the momitor is pretty fitting:) I've decided recently to nickname Avery the dive bomber. When she's nursing and I go to switch sides she dives at me to move faster. A few times I've almost dropped her because she does it so fast and forcefully! She has also started to laugh and we all love it! When you blow on her bare belly is when she does it the loudest. Both girls are growing up and changing. All I'm asking is that Avery sleeps longer than two hours at a time at night and Addison listens to me...every once in a while!

Hair Cut

Addison had her first little trim. There was no crying or wiggling so it was very successful! My mom was the brave soul to tackle the task. Now Addison doesn't have a mullet!

Happy Holidays 2013!

We're in the beginning of January and the count down is on til we move to Dayton. I know these next few months will fly by and soon I'll be swamped with boxes! I need to hurry up and update our lives so they don't get ahead of us. 

We had a great two weeks down in Cincinnati for Christmas and New Years. We packed in a lot and by some miracle I didn't end up sick this year. Addison and Avery are sick with coughs and runny noses, but at least I feel decent to take care of them! The day before we left we did a little Christmas with our family. Addison and I put cookies out for Santa and read The Night Before Christmas together. This is the first year that I feel like Addison understood what was going on. Santa was good to our girls! Addison loved her new shopping cart and grocery store food. They were each given more cereal bowls and Addison got a matching water bottle.  Avery got some new bigger winter clothes and a new book. Addison gave Avery a jingle owl toy that she loves to eat the face. Avery gave Addison some new paints and a giant crayon that is already broken:) We got out the easel and Addison painted happily all morning. After scrambling around to pack we left the 20th and made it back on the 4th from Cincinnati. Our return got delayed due to snow and ice. Everyone in my family was able to come for the holidays. We did our traditional viewing of the Train show, Festival of Lights at the zoo, Skyline, lady shopping day,Christmas crepes, Chinese food on New Year's Eve,  fancy adult dinner, a movie on Christmas day and lots of quality bonding. I managed to squeeze in a couple Jersey Mikes visits and Dave had about 10 UDF vanilla milk shakes! My favorite thing to do is staying up and playing games. Addison and Avery slept terrible while we were there so Dave and I were miserably tired. Avery pretty much forgot how to sleep and I am praying it comes back sooner than later! There was a lot of cousin play time. Grammie has lots of babies and they were put to good use. We took Addison to her first movie at the theater to see Frozen! Once the popcorn was gone she got a little squirmy, but she loved it. Avery slept like a dream and also enjoyed her fist movie:) We were able to video chat with Dave's family on Christmas and were sad we didn't get to go out west this year. Auntie Kate gave all the girls shirts that said, "If you think I'm cute you should see my Auntie Kate". She also gave Addi new princess bath toys and Avery some pjs. Jonathan and Eliza blessed little Olivia while we were there. Dave and I got to go out on a date one evening and it was nice to leave Avery at home. We were glad to put a close to 2013 and can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us!