A Buckle Fracture & A Purple Cast

Addison had stayed home with her daddy this particular Friday because I only had to work until 1pm.  I figured if she stayed home and took a nap there, we could have a fun Friday afternoon doing something different.  We had made plans with a few friends to go to an indoor playground and Addy was looking forward to seeing her buddies!  I had decided to leave work around 12:30 to get a much needed pedicure, but Justin had said Addy was still crying after having fallen in her bedroom before nap time.  I decided to go home and assess the situation.  When I got home, she was sitting on Justin's lap and holding her arm.  Usually if she gets hurt, she just wants a kiss on her boo-boo and life is better...this was not the case.  She told me her arm hurt and she was holding it carefully.  We took her back upstairs and I decided to try and rock her to sleep.  She eventually fell asleep on me and I put her into her crib where she took a nice little nap.  I then headed over to get a pedicure and texted fellow mommy friends to see what their thoughts were.  Basically, I figured I'd be worrying all weekend about her arm and needed to have it looked at after nap.  Justin & I took her to Duke Urgent Care right off the bat because we knew if we went to her pediatrician they'd just send us along somewhere else for x-rays.  Addison was in good spirits, but still said her arm hurt.  We saw a doctor and then went to get x-rays.  Sure enough, she came back and said Addy had a buckle fracture in her left arm and she would need a cast.  I think I was more upset then her, I just felt so bad for her!  Because it was already 5pm on a Friday night, we wouldn't be able to get into an Orthopedist until the following week. The doctor would have to put on a temporary cast until we could get scheduled somewhere else.  Once again, Addy was a perfect patient.  She sat up on the big chair while the lady put this pad on the bottom part of her arm, which would harden, then wrapped it in an ace bandage.  She never once complained or cried, she was such a trooper!  After she had her temporary cast on, they gave us some instructions, gave Addy lots of stickers and we were on our way.

Temporary Cast

She did great the whole weekend with her temporary cast.  She wasn't able to have any "water" fun, but we found ways to keep her busy.  First thing Monday morning, I was on the phone tracking down an appointment with an Orthopedic.  Thankfully, we were able to get an appointment later that day!  Justin & I took Addy in where she met a few more doctors then went to the "cast room".  She was able to pick out the color of her cast and sat perfectly yet again.  They originally said she couldn't get her cast wet, but when I said I thought she could have a waterproof one they agreed she could have one.  She is still able to go to the pool and take baths in a normal fashion.  The cast will only have to be on for hopefully 3 weeks.  We have a recheck appointment for July 21st and I am crossing my fingers that everything will be healed!  Addison has been so great with this cast, but I am soo ready for it to be off!

June 2014

We've had what seems like a very busy month!  Nonna came into town for 2 weeks at the end of May.  Addison stayed home from school for those 2 weeks to hang and have a good time with Nonna.  They were busy girls! Shortly after, we made a trip to Charleston to visit Ian & Amanda.  It was a short weekend, but such a nice getaway.  We hit up a baseball game, the beach and went out to dinner.  Addison was a trooper.  She went to bed way too late both nights, but really was such a happy, good kid.  We started a parent & child swim class and Addy is doing really good.  She seems to love the water, I just hope she can learn a few things!  We also went to a Frozen themed birthday party where Queen Else showed up.  Addy was completely in awe!  It was so fun to watch all the kids be star struck.  Else did face painting for all the kids then headed back to her castle.  Last but not least, we celebrated Father’s Day!  Addy made a few paintings for her daddy and she was so pleased with the car she made him.  We had a nice family dinner at my parents while Addison played on the deck in the baby pool.

Here’s a conversation with Addison…

Addy & Nonna were outside playing with bubbles when Addy came up to the door and said:

"Daddy, call me if you need me"

Justin: “Ok, thanks!”

Addy: "OK, go back and do your work"

Some photos from the month…

May 2014

Here we are at 31 months and I feel like Addison's 3rd birthday is rapidly approaching. The summer weather is starting to set in and I can't wait to spend many weekends at the pool or swing set.

ADDISON

• Likes to be in charge...she thinks she is the boss and orders pretty much everyone around
• Doesn't like to have dirty hands and wants to wash them immediately after she is done with a meal
• Is obsessed with the movie Frozen...she loves singing and dancing out all parts and it kills me when she asks her daddy to join in.  It melts my heart to watch them dance & sing together!
• Can count to 20, but gets a little mixed up on the teens
• Can sing the alphabet except for one tiny part, she says J, K, J, K instead H, I, J, K...otherwise perfect!
• She is Justin's mini-me...she has his mischievous ways & looks

FAVORITE FOODS

• Macaroni and cheese
• Cantaloupe (she calls it Candy-Loop)
• Pizza
• Dip for Veggies
• Carrots
• Pancakes
• Trail Mix (loves to pick the M&M's out first though)

SLEEP

• Bedtime: 8:00 pm
• Night sleep: 10.5-11.5 hours (most nights she makes a guest appearance in our bed anytime between 1am-4am)
• Morning wake time: Anywhere from 6:00-7:30 am
• Nap duration: 1.5-2.5 hours
• She still sleeps in a crib with all her buddies, but I feel like we should be moving her to a toddler bed soon...not sure how soon though!

SPEECH

• Her vocabulary has really exploded, but she seems to have developed a minor stutter as well.  She gets stuck on the first word of her sentences as of late, but the doctor assured me this is very normal at this age.  You can tell Addison's mind is going a mile a minute so it makes sense she might stutter, but it breaks my heart when I know she's trying to get something out and gets hung up on a word.  I usually try to tell her to calm down and say it slow.  When people ask her her name, she replies with Addison Crooks.  It cracks me up that she gives first & last name.
• My favorite happened the other night when she told me "I love you sooo much mommy" without being prompted.  She was just sitting on my lap casually and looked back at me to say it.  On the flip, my not-favorite is when she tells us, "Leave me alone or don't bother me, I want to be alone” How can she say these things at 2 ½! 

PLAYING

• She is crazy about babies ... she feeds her dolls, changes their diapers, puts them to bed, rocks them
• Reading books
• Stickers
• Loves to be outside at the playground and I have to FORCE her off the swings.  She could swing all day at this point!
• Is a very helpful cleaner, she loves to help dust, wash the windows or tidy up

HEALTH

• Addy has an ear infection in her right ear currently.  She takes oral meds & gets ear drops to clear it up.  She is so good at taking her meds and doing the drops.  I felt so bad when she looked at me and said her ear hurt.  I asked her if she wanted to go to school and she said, "No, I want to fix my ear".  She knew which ear hurt and sure enough, it had some gunk build-up and an infection.  I'm glad she can voice her pain, it certainly helps to know what's wrong!

POTTY TRAINING

• We have barely dipped our toes into the potty training process. Addison has a stand-alone Minnie Mouse potty that sits in our living room.  I also have two little seats that fit on top of our toilets.  She really hasn't been interested in trying.  She has sat on the toilet several times, but nothing "magical" has happened as of yet.  She is still scared of the potty at school...I think it's too loud!  I am not above bribing her, but I just want it to be on her terms.  She knows when she's gone to the bathroom because she will tell me, so hopefully that's a step in the right direction. 

Conversations with Addison

Daddy & Mommy: Dancing and pumping our arms in excitement while sitting on the bed
Addison: “Guys, slow down!”

Addison: “Daddy, look at mommy.............. She pretty”

While Grandma was putting Addy in her car seat, she accidentally bumped her head

Addison to Grandma: “Say you're sorry”

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter weekend! We were supposed to participate in an Egg hunt at the Brier Creek clubhouse the day before Easter, but heavy rain made them have to cancel that part.  We headed to the clubhouse anyways to see the Easter bunny.  Addison was super excited up until the Easter bunny actually showed up.  She was petrified!!  My mom was holding Addy and she was visibly shaking while looking at the bunny.  She shed a few tears and we decided to go on our marry way.  We went into the next room to enjoy some games, but there wasn't a whole lot going on!  We grabbed a few eggs, did the cupcake walk and headed home.  Maybe next year she will sit with the bunny!

Easter day started off at our house...Addy found her basket in her tent.  We opened a few things, ate a few jelly beans and continued to get ready for church.  We went to church with the whole family then headed to my parents house for an early dinner.  Addy was able to track down her basket at my parents and immediately put on her new white shoes.  She pretty much wore them all day until bedtime!  We had a great dinner and basically continued to lounge and entertain Addy while Justin & my dad watched baseball.  Amanda left shortly after dinner to get back to her place before it got dark.

Conversations with Addison...

Justin: Addison, please keep your shoes on
Addison: I wish I could

Justin: What do you think will be in your Easter basket
Addison: Probably.....(whispering now) jelly beans

Singing in church

Her new shoes

she loves tilting her head for pictures! 

Family pic

2 1/2 Year Old Well Appt.

We had a great visit with Dr. Sarah for Addison's 2 1/2 year well appointment.  
Addison's stats were:
Weight - 28.25 lbs (50%)
Height - 35 inches (25%)
Head Circumference - 48.5 cm (70%)

Addison chatted up Dr. Sarah and was such a good patient.  She let her look in her ears, eyes and mouth and smiled through it all.  Addison ears looked great and I am happy to report that both tubes are still in there!  Dr. Sarah thought Addison spoke very well and carried on a few short conversations with her.  We talked about potty training and how Addison doesn't seem interested in it.  Basically, she told me to take our time and don't push it because she might fight back hard on it.  All in all, it was a great appointment and we have a very healthy, happy little girl.
Addison had a bag full of eggs from the egg hunt they had at school earlier in the day...she was pumped with all the candy she found...I wasn't as pumped!

April 2014 - 2 1/2 Years Old!!

This little girl is growing up right before our eyes!  She seems so grown up most days and it's crazy to watch her learn new things and see how quickly she absorbs them.  Right now Addison seems hugely interested in the human body.  She is pretty fascinated with her boobs and makes comments like, "Daddy, those are your boobs...my boobs are in my shirt".  She recently asked if she could touch mine which I kindly replied no, I don't think so.  P.S. this didn't stop her from touching them.  She also likes looking at herself in the mirror and making silly faces.  She continues to talk so much and everyday when I pick her up from school there is a check box next to "talkative" and then it is circled.  The teachers have said if she's quiet, they know something is up!
I decided to try and ask Addison a series of questions to see how she'd answer them.  I asked her these questions over the course of a few days because she couldn't focus long enough to answer them all in one sitting!!  I wanted to add my commentary through out so I don't forget what she was like at this age!

What is your name? Addison (She sometimes wills say Addy Grace or Addison Crooks)

What is your favorite color? Pink (This child LOVES pink!  Pink shoes, pink clothes, pink toys, pink anything)

What is your favorite toy? She just stared at me like I was crazy.  I'm not sure she actually has a favorite toy though, she kind of rotates through which stuffed animal is her #1.  We have puppy, big teddy, pink teddy, tiny teddy, red teddy and Copper that seem to be in the rotation currently.  However, she sleeps with 20 stuffed animals and knows when one is missing!!

What is your favorite fruit? Again, blank stare.  Right now she is on a pineapple kick.  I am hoping with the summer months rolling in she'll be eating way more fruit then usual!

What is your favorite TV show? Rio (We have been watching the movie Rio on repeat lately.  She is obsessed with it and as luck may have it, Rio 2 recently came out so we plan on taking Addy to see it as her first movie in the theater.)

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  Her answer was simple: Food.

What is your favorite outfit?  She didn't answer, but she tries to wear her pink Sofia outfit as much as possible!  

What is your favorite game?  No answer from Addy and the only thing I could think of was catch!  She loves to pretty much play catch with anything.

What is your favorite snack? graham crackers.  She looks so cute dipping her little graham crackers in her milk cup.

What is your favorite animal? Dog.

What is your favorite book? She quickly replied, Where the wild things are!! Then just as quickly changed her answer to fishy book.  The fishy book is actually called Rainbow Fish and we pretty much read it every night.

Who is your best friend? Gannon (I think it was because I asked her while he was sitting next to her...when I asked her later she said, my daddy)

What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Play.  Plain & simple!

What is your favorite holiday?  She didn't reply but I don't think she actually knows what that means!  She just told us the other day that the Easter bunny is coming to visit Santa....soooo who knows what's going on in that brain of hers!

What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  She replied "my daddy".  I guess in her defense, he does come in to her bedroom every night to put her to bed!

What do you want to be when you grow up? Again, no answer

Where do you want to go on vacation? In a very whiny tone, I want to go on vacation.

Who do you want to come over for a play date?  Jacob & Emily...these are two kids that are in her class.  She talks about them non-stop!

Who do you love? Everyone (Awwww)

What’s your favorite drink? Chocolate Milk

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the month!

March 2014

During the past month we've been busy!  We took Addy to see her first circus, Grandpa & Nonna visited, gymnastics started, we had a visit from Aunt Amanda, had a stomach bug & an ear infection!
Justin & I took Addy to the circus on a Thursday night.  It was a late night for Addison, but she really seemed to enjoy it!  She was most fascinated with the animals: elephants, dogs, tigers & horses.  She wasn't really a fan of the clowns...but we were far enough away so I don't think she was actually scared by them.
We left early (8:15) because she had started to yawn big time and was hair twirling up a storm.

At the circus, in awe of the horses

A few weeks ago we started gymnastics.  It is a Saturday morning class that is 45 minutes long and goes for 8 weeks.  It was a gift from her Aunt Amanda, Uncle Ian & Aunt Shelly for Christmas.  It's the gift that keeps giving!  Addison started off being a little timid, but even after our third week I could see many changes.  She is more comfortable in the foam pit, on the trampoline and loves the obstacle course.  She's learning to do headstands and somersaults which quickly became her favorite.  After this 8 week stint, I plan to enroll her into swimming classes at the YMCA.  She's around the pool enough during the summer months and i'd like her to have some lessons & pool familiarity before swim season is back in full force!

Gymnastics with Aunt Manda

Addy continues to have a great appetite.  She tries a lot of things, but her favorite is still mac & cheese or pizza.  She is still obsessed with marshmallows.  She'll ask for them in a whispered voice because she knows she isn't supposed to have them.  Let's be honest though, she still has her fair share.  Another favorite that has shocked me is black olives...she will eat them ALL DAY if I let her!
We had a great visit with Justin's parents even though it was a quick one.  They arrived on a Friday night and had to leave Monday morning.  They were supposed to drive in on Thursday, but the weather had a different idea for them.  Addison had a great time hanging out with them and we were sad to see them go.

Reading a book before bed with Grandpa & Nonna

On a different note, I am positive that Addison is testing my patience. Addison is back to her old ways when it comes to sleeping habits.  She was doing so well for a long stretch of time, but then she got sick with a stomach bug & then got her first ear infection since her tubes have been put in.  She had a few miserable nights in which I let her sleep with us.  Now she won't go to bed at night without a screaming and crying fit and won't stay asleep through the night to save her life.  It is exhausting for all involved!  Just the other night when she wouldn't go to sleep, I finally went in to wipe her nose and to ask her whats wrong.  She told me she just wanted to snuggle!?  How does a 2 1/2 year old know how to play me so well!?  I'm honestly at a loss and all the crying tugs at my heart strings and makes my stomach hurt.  At the same time, I am annoyed that I have these feelings because I know we'd all be happier with a good nights sleep!  Once again, we will be forced to lay the law down resulting in a few unpleasant nights.
I've said it before, but I continue to be surprised at how she can go from being the sweetest of children to the most ticked off child ever.  I love it when our little Addy is being sweet, but I don't know if it's the terrible two's but there are times when I think this can't even be my child!  I don't know if she's exerting her independence or what, but it makes for some fun times.  We've learned to offer things in twos so it seems like she is choosing, but sometimes even then she wants nothing to do with it!  One good thing is that spring/summer is rapidly approaching.  I think with some warmer days and outside play, she will get more energy out of her system, making us all a little happier!
Addison is soo girly in many aspects.  She currently won't wear anything unless it has some sort of pink color in it.  Purple works too, but mostly she asks for pink.  She has a Sofia nightgown that she wants to wear every night, until recently when my mom bought her Ariel pj's.  Now she agrees to mix it up between the two pairs, which means doing laundry more frequently than I want to!  She loves having her nails painted and loves to put on chapstick.  She likes watching anything princess related and sometimes says she herself is a princess.  Let's hope next months post finds me more rested!

Chalk on a sunny day

Enjoying time with Aunt Shelly

Addy showing off her nailpolish