Phil and Kylee surprised my mom and dad and came home this weekend. We spent Friday night hanging out with the entire fam! Addie was a riot! They got her laughing hard- it was so fun!

I'll try again with the pics. Only one worked last time...
Things are going really well. Addie sleeps 7 or 8 hours the first stretch and then usually 4 the second stretch each night. She smiles and laughs all the time! Such fun :) She is truly a delight.

Here are a few recent pics for your viewing pleasure...

Last weekend we let our first "baby" go. Brandt took Bella to the Humane Society :( She's been a great cat, but it was getting difficult lately. I feel good about our decision. I'm not nervous about the cat being in Addie's room or crib anymore, we can leave doors open now, and I don't have to clean up puke every other day! It was hard to let her go, but hopefully some nice family will take her home.

We introduced Addison to a little thing called rice cereal this weekend. It is a miracle! I know, I know... you're not supposed to give them cereal until 4 months, but we put a tablespoon of it in her bottle before bed and she sleeps 8 hours at night now! It's amazing!! That was the highlight of our weekend :)

Addie had a wonderful week at Grandma Larson's and Nana Sorbel's :) Thanks, Moms! We appreciate you :) Here are some precious picks from the Larson household.

Addie attended her first wedding yesterday. Our friends Ana and Adam got married! Brandt brought Addie to the reception- she was very well-behaved :) It was a fun day! Congrats you two!

Sorry for not updating this week, but it has been CRAZY busy! I am enjoying being back at school. I'm feeling a little stressed knowing that kids come Monday, but I'll be ready. Addie has been great for GG (Great Grandma), Daddy, Nana, and Aunt Tricia this week. She has been talking a lot lately... Her favorite words are "kkkkkkk" (like hocking a loogie) and "ggguuhhh" (exactly how it looks)! We get a kick out of her :) Pictures to come...

Addie hasn't found her thumb yet, but she's just recently found her fist. She loves sucking on her fist! The top picture also demonstrates what we like to call, "Big eyes!"

Addie and I had a fabulous day together today. I head back to work tomorrow, and I am very sad today just thinking about it. I'm only working part time, and I know she will be in great hands with my mom and Brandt's mom, but it's sad realizing we won't be spending full days together anymore. Crazy how one day you can be crying because you just need a break and the next day crying because you never want to leave her. Must be love :-)
Brandtis- we will see you very soon!

This picture reminds me of two things I heard within the last couple of weeks...
I was at JC Penney's and a woman looked at Addie and said, "Wow! Your child looks very well-fed!" I replied, "Thank you," and walked away :)
A few days later, I was going through the line at Walmart, and my cashier looked at Addie and said, "Oh, what a little butterball!" I smiled. She then added, "Don't worry. Once she starts walking, she will lose all of that!" Again, I smiled and walked away :) Am I supposed to be 'worried' ?? Cause I'm not! I love the chunky cheeks!
I felt this picture suited these two quotes perfectly!

My friend Amber and her son Liam took Addie last Friday afternoon. Here are a couple cute pics from their play date!

Today was a rough day... so no pictures were taken. She slept very little. That won't be happening tomorrow. I just put her down for the night. It's so funny because it feels like such an accomplishment to put her down, know that she's asleep, and realize I have a couple hours of freedom ;) Tonight would've been a night where I would've thrown her at Brandt to take care of, so this was probably good for me to be on my own. 3 more days ...

This is my new favorite pastime with Addie. She loves books! She just smiles and smiles at the pages... so fun! We miss you, Daddy! Hope all is well.

Brandt left today for a week. He's in Columbus, Ohio, ironically enough (my home town)! It was hard for him to leave our sweet baby girl today, so I will be updating the blog every day this week with pics... Enjoy!

Addie in the "Bumbo"- Love it!! Well, she didn't love it, but Brandt and I thought it was adorable :-)

Hey all... I'm struggling today. See, Addie can sleep in her cradle by herself at night when she's in her deep sleep, but during the day, whenever she naps, I always hold her. The times I get her to sleep and try to lay her down, she's screaming the minute she's out of my arms. I told myself this week I would try to put her down each time she falls asleep and then just keep trying and trying, cause I want her to be able to be on her own- especially when my mom or Brandt's mom start to take care of her in two weeks. I don't want them to have to hold her all day. Does anyone have a suggestion?? Also, is it ok to let a baby cry herself to sleep? I can barely make it 5 minutes without going in to pick her up, but I'm just wondering if I should stick it out and let her calm herself down without me running to get her. I lasted 8 minutes today -she cried that entire time in her cradle, so I couldn't take it anymore and had to pick her up. I'd appreciate any suggestions :)

I just took Addie for her 2 month check-up and shots. This was one of the hardest things I've had to do- hold her down while she looks up at me and screams in pain. Thankfully it didn't last long, and thankfully I could pick her up right after and tell her "I love you."
Here are the stats: 12.5 pounds and 23 1/2 inches long = 90th percentile for her age... Whoa baby!

Miss Addison is 2 months old today! Hard to believe!

Brandt and I had a date last night- we celebrated our 3 year anniversary with dinner and a movie while Addie was with Grandma and Grandpa Sorbel. As much as I love being with my girl, it was so nice to have an evening out with just Brandt. It's been awhile since that's happened. Next time, though, we will be seeing a "chick flick" instead of a movie where robots are taking over the world ;)

Our sleeping beauty :-)
Check out the chunky cheeks!

This week has been really good. Thanks to those of you who kept reminding me, "It will get easier..." I think I'm finally feeling that! Addison has been very fun this week. The daily smiles and laughs help me forget the times I'm frustrated or feel as though I don't know what I'm doing. She will be two months old next Wednesday! Hard to believe :-) I'll add pictures next time...

Addie with Uncle Jeff and Uncle Aaron at Trout Lake Camp :)


Addie's first trip to Zorbaz- one of our favorite places to go!!


Her first boat ride... It looks like she's crying, but really she was smiling or sleeping the whole time :-)

It's a little blurry... but so cute :) My mom took this yesterday when she watched Addie.

A friend of mine gave me a certificate for a free sitting and free sheet of pictures at Babies 'R' Us, so I took Addie last Thursday to get pictures taken. She is such a model :) To view these pictures, follow the instructions below...

Go to www.kiddiekandids.com
At the top right, click on "Shop online at Mystudio"
Find where it says "Sitting Number" and type in - 591003330
Then where it says "Sitting Code" type in- W323W32

I think there are seven shots... Enjoy!

Someone once told me that being a parent is the hardest and best job in the whole world. I never understood how it could be both, but it is so true. This week has been both good and hard. Our little one likes to vocalize lately. She has a nice loud cry/scream. It's hard to know what to do for her sometimes. It's hard doing this parenting thing. I'm ready for a different stage, yet I don't want to wish this stage away...

Arkansas went great! Addie did very well in the car. She slept most of the way. Got a little fussy toward the end of each trip... but I don't blame her! I wanted out of the car too :) She saw her first fireworks show on the 4th, which was a lot of fun. She was passed around a ton by family members eager to hold her. Brandt and I actually got a few games of Rook in while we were there! She is a little over 5 weeks now... she changes all the time. Brandt caught a smile on camera finally! We love her :)

We decided to head to Arkansas for the week with my family for a family reunion. Call us crazy... or just pray for our long road trip! I'll update when we get home.

Yesterday was a tough day. Addie hasn't been feeling the greatest. Lots of screaming and lots of really messy diapers. I took her in and they suggested I cut milk out of my diet. It seems to be not settling well with her. Although I LOVE milk, I'd give up just about anything to not have what we had yesterday :) She was awake most of the day, crying and screaming, so I figured she'd sleep really well last night... WRONG! She was awake until 3 AM, when Dad finally took her and got her to sleep until 5. She just doesn't like to be laying alone in her cradle. She will be fine the minute someone picks her up and holds her, but that doesn't help us get any sleep. She would eat, burp, fall asleep, and then the minute I lay her down, she'd cry, scream, and become wide awake again. AAHHH!!! Needless to say, Brandt and I got very little sleep as well. Hopefully I can keep her awake a bit today, so maybe she'll sleep tonight. I would appreciate prayers today :)
On a side note... she weighs 9 pounds, 2 ounces as of yesterday!

It was a fun weekend for Addie. On Friday, she got to hang out with her friend Nora. They were like two little peas in a pod. Then on Saturday it was Addie's first trip to the beach. She didn't go on the boat, but she loved being outside in the arms of family. Her hat may be a little large yet...

JUST THE TWO OF US...
We survived our first week together, with Brandt being back at work. We had a lot of fun! Let's see... we slept in, took walks, watched tv, took naps... I think that's about it :-) Yesterday we actually ventured out of the house and went with a friend to the outlet mall. It was nice to get out of the house and see that there's life outside our little world at home. We had a great time. Well, Addie slept the whole time, but I had fun! Tomorrow morning Daddy's going to let me sleep in and he and Addie are going to enjoy some Sat. morning cartoons together. Yeah!

My Addison is 2 weeks old today. We had a doctor's appointment today. It went very well. She weighs 8 pounds 2 1/2 ounces... more than her birth weight, which is good. She measured 20 3/4 inches in length. I have two more days with Brandt at home. He goes back to work Monday. Pray for me next week :-)

Addie had her first bath and first walk today! It was a very exciting day :) I think she is going to be Daddy's little girl.
-Steph

Well... we are finally home! It was one too many days in the hospital, but they let us go today. Thank you everyone for your thoughts, prayers, gifts, visits, and comments on the blog! We'll continue to keep you updated with pictures and thoughts as the days go on. Here's a little something from me...
I NEVER EXPECTED...
...I could love someone I just met so much
...I would just want to sit and stare at her for hours and hours
...I could love the way she smells so much :)
...that 2 hours of sleep could feel like 12!
...to fall in love with Brandt even more as we became parents
...this journey to be such a rollercoaster of emotions - lots of ups and downs
...feeding to be so tough (but we're getting the hang of it)
...to say I'd be willing to do another c-section any day!
...being a mom could feel so fabulous

That's about it! Enjoy those pics :-)
-Steph

SHE'S HERE!!! Addison Noelle was born on Friday, June 1 at 8:39 am. She was 8 lbs 1 oz (not bad for 2 weeks early!), 20 inches long, and she had a head circumference of 14 3/4 inches. She's is the most beautiful thing you will ever see. Mom is doing great, Addie is doing great, and Dad is loving every moment of it. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!!! Enjoy some of these pics!