Addison's Baptism

Addison’s baptism took place this weekend at St. Francis of Assisi in Raleigh.  We were very fortunate to have both sets of parents & all siblings accounted for!  Justin’s brother Gannon flew into town on Thursday February 16^th and his dad, brother Adam and dog drove into town after work and arrived at about 1:30 am the same day.  Our little townhouse was packed to the gills! 

Addy was baptized at 11:30 Sunday mass and although the day was very gloomy, we had lots of smiling faces around us.  When we got to church, they have you take your little one to this back room to undress them down to their diaper and then wrap them in white towels.  I brought one of Addy’s blankets that my mother had made and wrapped her in that as well for an extra cute look.  Addy was very good through the whole mass.  The baptism was done after the homily and I really liked the priest who performed it.  Father Bill is a very personable guy and he didn’t make my baby cry, so that was a plus!  We took Addy to the front of the altar and then all the children of the parish were asked to come and make the sign of the cross on Addy’s head.  It was very cute to see all these kids come racing towards us. 

We then walked back to the baptism basin and slipped Addy’s diaper off, handed her off to the priest and then he dunked her.  She looked at me and was a little startled, but didn’t make one peep.  After, he handed her back to me where Justin & I wrapped her back up in her towel.  The priest blessed her baptism gown & cross and we went on our merry way.  Justin & I then took Addy back to the room where we undressed her to finally put some clothes on the girl!  She looked so cute in her dress, stockings, bib and shoes…her shoes refused to stay on though! 

After mass was over, we all went back to my parents house for brunch.  We were going to take pictures at the church, but they turned the lights off on us!  It was a great day and we couldn’t have felt more blessed.  It seems crazy that exactly one year ago we were sharing the news of our pregnancy with our parents…everything really came full circle.

Start of Mass

About to get dunked

Getting dunked

Aunt Amanda & Uncle Adam - GodParents

Dad & Mom with their sweety

The Rosplock Clan

The Crooks Clan



Sibling photo

3 Men & a baby

Girls only

Aunt Shelly & Uncle Gannon - The wannabe GodParents

4 Month Checkup

STATS

Weight: 14lbs 13.5oz (60^th percentile)

Height: 25 inches (75^th percentile)

Head: 42cm (85^th percentile)

Addy’s doctor appointment went really well.  She is such a good baby and was chatting away with Dr. Sarah.  I of course had been dreading the shots, but she literally only cried for less then 10 seconds and was over it.  She had 3 shots; 2 in one leg and 1 in the other leg.  My mother came with me to her appointment because I was sure Addy would be crying again which in turn makes me cry.  I needed my mommy!!  It’s also nice to have an extra set of ears because sometimes I leave the doctor’s office and forget everything they’ve said.  Oops!

Dr. Sarah was very happy with her progress and said we could start introducing some solid food.  Probably sometime this coming weekend we are going to try some rice cereal!  If she likes them, great…if not, they said wait one week and try again.  It isn’t completely necessary to give her solids until 6 months, so there is no real rush.  Justin & I are basically trying to cut down on “middle-of-the-night” feedings and want to see if some solid food will help.  Dr. Sarah this is an old wives tale, but sometimes when so many people believe it works, there might be something to it!  It never hurts to try!

Addison

still hasn’t rolled over yet and seems to have stopped caring to do so.  For awhile, she seemed adamant about doing it, but now just seems content lying on her back.  When she is on her back, her legs are constantly moving.  Once she learns how to crawl or walk, I think we are going to have an active one on our hands! 

Addy is enjoying spending time in her Bumbo with the tray attached.  She has been sitting in it while we eat dinner lately which is nice…Justin & I can eat at the same time!  Addy still loves bath time and I can’t wait to get her little body in a pool this summer!  My parents are currently planning a trip to Texas to see my Grandma, Aunt and her family in April.  My Aunt has a pool so I am hoping it will be warm enough to give it a try when we are there.  I am beyond excited that my parents, sisters, Addy & I will be headed to Texas…I can’t wait for my Grandma to meet her great granddaughter!!
Oh...last but not least, the doctor did confirm that Addy is indeed teething!  It seems early for it, but her gums are swollen and you can see a little nub under the skin!

4 Months Old!

SLEEPING

As of right now, Addy has kicked her bad habit of being placed in her crib for bedtime and waking up 10 minutes later. (Knock on wood!)  She is pretty much going to bed between 7:30 & 8 depending on her last nap of the day.  Lately I’ll come home from work, and she’ll get all cuddly with me and fall asleep for about a half hour.  I absolutely love that time with her!  She is still waking up 2 times a night.  Justin still gets the first feeding (anywhere from 11 – 1!?) and I get the second feeding (anywhere from 3 – 4:30!?).  Addy will then wake up between 6:45 and 8 for the day.  She still takes her bottle and falls asleep pretty quickly after she has finished it, so we really can’t complain too much!

EATING

Addy is funny about food.  She seems to enjoy more of it at the wee hours of the night/morning opposed to during the day when normal people eat!  I am hoping that on Friday when we have her 4 month appointment we can talk about giving her rice cereal because I’ve read a lot of information saying she might just need a more full belly before heading to bed.  I guess we can try it and see what happens!

CLOTHING

She pretty much doesn’t fit into any 3 month old clothing!  She is wearing all 6 month old sleepers because anything smaller and her little arms are only half covered! 

STATS

Weight, Height & Head: We haven’t been to the doctors since her 2 month old checkup, so we will have to wait and see for the 4 month checkup…I’ll follow up after Friday’s appointment.

Loves: Addy is enjoying her hands & feet lately.  She has managed to get both fists into her mouth and on very few occasions, just a thumb!  She is super interested in her feet right now and tries very hard to get them to her mouth.  She has been unsuccessful thus far!  She’s also loving her Sophie the Giraffe squeaky toy…Brinkley loves Sophie as well.  Brinkley doesn’t try to pick Sophie up, but she looks like she is being tortured by not touching it.  Thankfully, she is a good dog and listens pretty well! 

Addy still hasn’t rolled over, but is getting very very close to going from back to tummy.  I have several videos of her “trying” to roll over, but she hasn’t gotten there quite yet!

Hates: She doesn’t have any huge hates at the moment.  She still isn’t thrilled when she is put in her car seat, but it’s growing on her.  

OTHER

I think Addy is starting to recognize her name.  I think she knows when we say “Addy” it has something to do with her at least.  Addy is starting to pay more attention to Brinkley and following her with her eyes.

More to come on this front…

Here are a few pictures of her 4 month old photo shoot…again, mostly somber photos because she doesn’t cooperate!

My First Walk in the Stroller!

Yes, it took me a long time to take her out and go on an actual walk, but I eventually got there!
It was a lovely sunny day and Grandma, Nonna, Aunt Shelly, Abbey & Brinkley all joined us!
Addy loved the fresh air and did very well!!  Not one peep from her the whole walk!

All bundled up!

3 Months Old!

SLEEPING

Sleep has become fun in our household!  She has been going to bed anywhere between 8 and 8:30, but sleeps for 10 minutes or so and then wants to be held or fed again.  I’m not sure when I am going to try and break that habit!  She has been waking up more in the middle of the night…before it was once a night and now it is two times a night.  Justin usually does one feeding and I do the other.  She goes back to bed pretty quickly once she has food in her belly.  During the day she has short little cat naps, nothing significant!

EATING

She still eats really well.  She has been averaging about 4 oz per feeding, but sometimes needs 5 or 6.  The doctor said that we will talk about introducing rice cereal at her 4 month appointment.

CLOTHING

Right now Addy is wearing 3 – 6 month clothing.  Her 0 – 3 month onesies don’t really fit at all.  We just bought some 6 month t-shirt onesies to go under her clothes so she has some room to grow.

STATS

Weight, Height & Head: We haven’t been to the doctors since her 2 month old checkup, so we will have to wait and see for the 4 month checkup.

Loves: Addy still really loves bath time and lying on her changing table.  She enjoys being pulled up into the sitting position and just looking around.  She also likes looking at the TV, computer and our cell phones.    

Hates: She really doesn’t seem to enjoy her car seat.  I’ll put her in there for a short period of time and she fusses until she basically falls asleep or we arrive at our destination.

OTHER

Addy finally started to giggle!  She can laugh at almost anything which I just love.  She has started to hold rattles and can get them into her mouth.  She seems like she is teething, but I can’t feel anything coming in just yet.  She likes to be held facing outward while my thumb is in her mouth so she can chew on it.  She looks like she is ready to roll over any minute!  She lays on her back and twist, turns and kicks with all her might…she is soo active!  One of these days I think she might just flip over because of all her movement.  Also at this point I am pretty sure Addy has started to recognize the different voices in her life.  If one of us is holding her and someone else is talking, she is looking around trying to figure out where we are.  It’s so cute!!

The past few weeks have been great.  Justin’s mom has been at the house watching Addy (&Brinkley), cooking & cleaning.  It has been a HUGE help and it’s so nice to come home to a happy baby, a super clean house and dinner in the oven.  Are we being spoiled at the moment….COMPLETLY!  We do realize it will come to an end, but right now we are just enjoying it all. 

Here are a few pictures of her 3 month old photo shoot…she smiles all the time, until I bring the Flip camera out or a camera out!

And one last picture of her that I used for her Baptism invitations!

2 Months Old!

SLEEPING

Addy is doing pretty good during the night.  She usually goes down for bed around 9pm.  Sometimes she is quick to fall asleep sometimes she needs help falling asleep.  At this point it is all about the 3 B’s: Bath, Bottle, and Bed.  I have gotten her into a routine which I think makes for a better evening.  I usually start with her bath around 8 which leads into her bottle around 8:30 and then lights out by 9.

EATING

She eats like a champ.  During the day I like to give her a bottle, then play for a bit then put her down for a nap.  This routine seems to work pretty good on most days.  If she acts hungry when it isn’t “time” for a bottle, I obviously give the girl what she wants!  She is averaging anywhere from 20 – 25 ounces of formula a day.

CLOTHING

My little baby doesn’t fit in NB clothes anymore!  She pretty much wears 3 month old clothing all the time now.  I feel like I didn’t even have time for her to wear all of her cute NB outfits!

STATS

Weight: 12lbs 2oz (70^th percentile)

Height: 23 inches (75^th percentile)

Head: 50^th percentile

Loves: Bathtime, watching Brinkley, cuddling, being held, swinging in her swing, listening to daddy talk on his phone, lying on her changing table, chilling in her Boppy.

Hates: Laying flat on her back for too long a period of time, not preparing her bottle quick enough in the middle of the night when she is ravenously hungry!

OTHER

Addy is super chatty lately!  Listening to her chat away makes me want to cry because I think it is just the prettiest sound ever!  She likes to stick her tongue out a lot and has started to blow bubbles.  She hasn’t quite mastered getting her hands to stay in her mouth, but she is always attempting this.  She holds her head up really well and likes to be in a sit up position.  She smiles all the time and I have heard a few giggles…they are very soft so I am looking forward when she will really gets into it.

I just went back to work this past Monday and the week has been interesting.  I have to wake up around 6:30 still so I can get my shower in before Justin leaves for work and Addy wakes up.  I have from about 7am to 12:30pm to fit in 3 hours of work.  Some of the days, Addy was an angel and took a long nap allowing me to work without interruption.  Other days she took short hour naps here and there which meant me fitting in work here and there.  My mom then heads to my house so I can go into the office from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.  This is just a temporary schedule because in January Justin’s mom will be moving in with us for about 6 weeks to be our “nanny”.  Once that 6 weeks is up, back to the drawing board!  It looks like Addy will go to daycare for about 25 hours a week and my mother and I will work our schedules out to make sure one of us has her because we will both have to clock 30 hours at work.  It might be a little crazy, but we are willing to be crazy for her!

Welcome to the World Addison!

Where do I even start?  It has been several weeks since I've been able to blog, but here I am!

I guess I have to go back all the way to Thursday October 13th when Justin & I went to the doctor's office for another check-up.  I had been getting headaches and the doctor had said they wanted me to let them know if this happened.  Once again nothing much came of this appointment.  They still wanted to monitor me and keep my induction scheduled for Monday October 17th.  So Justin drove me home, dropped me off and he went back to work.  Less then an hour later, the doctor called and said she'd been thinking about me and decided to bring me in that night to start the induction process!  She felt that things wouldn't get any better from that point and could possibly just get worse.  I immediately called Justin and told him the good news...he had just gotten back to work, but thankfully his boss had told him to head home again knowing he'd just be thinking about the things to come. 

The doctor's office said that someone from the hospital would call and let us know when to come in.  Sure enough, I got a call and they said that they'd call later between 7 - 10 pm to tell us to come in.  At this point it was probably only 2pm so we had a long day of waiting around!  I of course decided to change and wash the sheets on our bed so I could come home to them being clean.  I finished up packing our hospital bags, took a bath and generally just sat around being nervous.

Justin's parents decided to leave ASAP from Endicott so they could get to Raleigh in time for the delivery.  They had already had their bags packed, so they were ready to roll.  They drove through the night and arrived in Raleigh around 4 am.  My mom decided to have us over for one last dinner before the baby arrived.  We got Brinkley all packed up because she was going to be staying with Grandma, Grandpa and Abbey while we were in the hospital.  We had a wonderful steak dinner with the family, said goodbye to Brinkley and went home to wait for the hospital call.

We hadn't been home too long, when someone from the hospital called and said to head in at 9:30pm. 

Justin & I waited patiently and watched a few of our Thursday night shows until we left.  Once we got to the hospital we were sent to the waiting room while they prepared a room for us.  We were probably in this small little waiting room for an hour until a room was ready for us.  Apparently it was a busy night and at one point I was terrified that they were going to send us home because there wasn't enough room!  Luckily, they finally took us to our room where we met our first nurse.  Justin & I got situated while the nurse started to hook me up to various machines.  Once I was hooked up to the machines, the nurse noticed I was having slight contractions although I wasn't really feeling anything.  We also had to wait to see the doctor to see how they wanted to proceed with the inducement because there are several ways to go about it.  The doctor came in and said I was dilated 1 cm!  This sounded good to me and it sounded like we were well on our way to having a baby!  Little did I know that Addison was not interested in joining us anytime soon.

The doctor decided to go with the Foley ball inducement method. The balloon portion of the Foley, used to keep the bladder empty, is inserted, deflated, into the uterus.  The balloon is then inflated with saline solution and left in place.  The goal of this induction is to cause the cervix to mechanically open. Sometimes this will start labor spontaneously and sometimes it will simply make the cervix more favorable for a Pitocin, other drug induction or amniotomy (breaking the bag of waters).  They decided to also start my Pitocin drip at the same time as well as a sleep agent.  I was pretty comfortable at this point while Justin had a squeaky, small leather pull out chair.  He didn’t do a lot of sleeping that night!  We had our nurse coming in and out through the night to check on my progress, but nothing noticeable was going on.  The night came and went with no baby.  The Foley ball eventually fell out late Friday morning.  At that point I was about 4 cm dilated, so I still had a ton of work to do.  They cranked up the Pitocin and the contractions started to come on strong!  I immediately asked for the epidural because I knew it’d be a little bit of a wait before the doctor could give it to me.  I ended up getting sick to my stomach, but it was basically just bile coming up.  I was surprised at how well Justin handled it!  He usually has a bad gag reflex, but he was super helpful in holding my bucket while pulling my hair back.  Every once in awhile I would get sick again…I just couldn’t help myself!  The doctor came in to give me my epidural probably about 45 minutes after I asked for it.  It wasn’t a bad process at all; the anticipation was the worst part.  I was pretty numb from the waist down, but it was a welcomed feeling.  I continued to have contractions and could feel when they were coming but the intensity wasn’t bad at all.  I continued to labor during the day with no real progress.  Finally we told all the family members to head home because it didn’t look like Addison was joining us anytime soon.  Justin promised he’d call everyone if and when I started to make some real progress. 

I finally made some real progress around 3am Saturday morning.  Justin called both moms to tell them we were going to start to push soon.  Everyone came back to the hospital around 4 am with the anticipation that there would be a baby soon.  At about 4 am they started to have me push…and push…and push.  About 3 hours later the doctor decided Addison was not going to come the conventional way and a c-section was needed.  I was exhausted from pushing, Justin was exhausted from no sleep and we both so badly just wanted to meet this little one.  We had about an hour wait for the c-section because the emergency room was currently full.  I dozed off and on for this hour and I can honestly say I have no idea what Justin did!  The nurse finally came in to wheel me to the emergency room.  Justin went into a different room to get all dressed up in hospital clothing while I went in to the emergency room for my spinal and to get situated.  The spinal wasn’t too bad either, I just wish someone had warned me that the numb feeling would not only go to the lower portion of my body, but also up to my chest.  I remember feeling like I couldn’t breathe and it felt like a large bear was sitting on my chest.  The nurse reassured me that my breathing was being monitored and everything looked good, but it was a horrible feeling.  I felt completely drugged and Justin still hadn’t appeared which was making me nervous.  Eventually Justin did join me and I felt so much better knowing he was right next to me.  It felt like in no time at all Addison was finally delivered!  She joined us on October 15, 2011 at 8:27 am weighing in at 8lbs 11oz and 22 inches long.  I was able to see her slightly but I was so out of it still.  The nurses whisked her away to the room right next to mine, but Justin was able to go with them to video tape everything.  I could hear her crying and I just couldn’t believe she was finally here.  It seemed like it took forever, but she was so worth it!

Justin was able to show her off to all the family members who had been patiently waiting for her arrival while I was getting closed up.  This is the only part of the story that bums me out.  I wasn’t able to see everyone’s expressions when she was introduced to Justin’s parents, my parents & sisters.  The hospital did have a policy that mommy gets to hold the baby before everyone else does though, so that made me happy.  Once I was all stapled together, I was sent to the recovery room where I met back up with Justin & Addison.  She was so perfect and I finally was able to hold her and get acquainted!  I watched as a nurse gave her her first bath and she promptly returned her back to me.  Life couldn’t have been better!  It took forever for her to join us, but she was well worth the wait!!

Love at first sight!



Meeting the families!



The Crooks Family