Addisyn's First Christmas

I decided to wait until December to post about Addisyn's first Christmas. The month was filled with all kinds of fun new things for her.
Her first trees-

 Our real tree.  It was 10 1/2 feet tall!

She got a tree in her room this year.  Mommy loved getting to decorate a PINK tree!

She saw Santa three times.

at Randolph School's Under the Christmas Tree Event

at Randolph School's Under the Christmas Tree Event

at The Botanical Garden's Galaxy of Lights walk-through

at Santa's Village

 
She played the role of Baby Jesus in this year's Hanging of the Green. People are still raving about her performance. She apparently deserves an Academy Award. Once I can get a hold of the photos and video, I will post them.



Addisyn attended her first Winterlude. She even played on the piano Daddy played after the performance.

She partied with the students & the music staff at multiple Christmas parties.


Her first Vesper's service on Christmas Eve, she went up with Mommy & Daddy to do the Advent Candle lighting. After that, she sat by the stage with Mommy, Katy & Hunter to listen to brother Jimmy tell the Christmas Story.

Christmas Story and Caroling on the church stage 

 with Brother Jimmy Jackson, our pastor

My parents came that night to join us and watch Addisyn while Mommy & Daddy sang.

Obviously, she was done with pictures. :)

Christmas Eve she opened her first present- A Christmas Eve box- filled with new Jammies, a movie, snacks & a new cup!

 Christmas Eve Box!

Christmas Jammies!!!

Christmas morning, she woke up bright and early. Addisyn was ready to open her presents! First thing though, Daddy read her the Christmas story out of her children's Bible.

Everyone told us she would be more interested in the paper than the present. Not Addisyn. She loved her toys and played with each one for a long time before opening the next one. This child is loved for sure! I will say, her absolute favorite toy was the Musical Mirror from her Aunt Destinee. She climbed over me to get to it!

Her favorite toy!

 She was so happy to get her puppy lovie back.  

(It was lost at the Casting Crowns concert.  Santa brought her a new one for Christmas.)

Sitting with her stocking stuffers

It was so fun to enjoy Christmas with her this year!  I can't wait for next year! :)

7 months old!

Time sure is flying by in our house! Little Miss turned 7 months old the day after Christmas!

(Photo Credit: Salt of the Earth Photography)

She has always had quite a bit of personality, but lately it sure is showing more! She is quick to let you know when she is hungry. If she doesn't want you to put that paci in her mouth, you can NOT get it in. Those little lips get pursed together and nothing you can do will open them. I call her Little Miss Sassy Pants sometimes.  Most of the time, she really is happy.  She loves being the center of attention.  In fact, a few weeks ago, she got a little sassy and knocked her bumbo off the table. It gave us our first Emergency Room visit and quite possibly the biggest scare of our life so far.

Moments after it happened

The next day

Still so happy!

One week later

Sleep is still not her favorite thing. I mean don't you know that Mommy & Daddy party while she's asleep? She did give us 11 1/2 hours the other night. It was glorious! Slowly, but surely she is adjusting to naps.



She is happy unless she is hungry or tired. I love listening to her little giggle. Her new favorite game is peekaboo. She will giggle and giggle when you play it with her.  The kid loves to eat, too.  She's eating full pouches of veggies, fruits and occasionally some meat.  She's also discovered Mommy & Daddy's plates.  We are eating one at a time now.  One of us has to keep her from leaping to our plates.  She's also learned that Mommy will share the food on her plate with her.  She's tasted Chickfila Nuggets, Tilapia, several kinds of bread and whatever veggie is on the plate.  Oh, she's also noticed my Sonic drinks.  She's been known to leap for that too.  That Mommy won't share until she has too.  :)

She's almost crawling now.  She is definitely scooting around.  I say she looks like a frog.  :)  She'll go for anything she really wants- most of the time it's for Mommy or the treasured toy of the day.  I don't think it will be long until she is walking too.  She can't stand that everyone else can stand or walk and she can't.

(Photo Credit: Salt of the Earth Photography)

(Photo Credit: Salt of the Earth Photography)

She truly is a sweet child and the joy of our lives.  We are loving this time with her.  It's so fun to watch her discover new things!

(Photo Credit: Salt of the Earth Photography)

Tomorrow, I will blog about all her first Christmas activities.  She was a busy girl the month of December, so I will share all the highlights with photos.

The Adventure of Mommyhood: Infantino Fresh Squeezed Review

I don't know where time has gone, but Addisyn is already eating baby food!!!  At her 4 month appointment, she was in the 75th percentile for weight & height, so Dr. B gave us the go ahead to start baby food.  I've been a little picky about what she eats since right now I can know everything going into her little body.  I noticed that in the cheaper baby foods there were extra preservatives that I just don't want to give her especially at such a young age, so I began buying the pouches of baby food.  I loved the ease of being able to just squeeze a little on a spoon at a time.  I tried some of the little Gerber containers, but it was really hard to take those with us places because of the mess.  The pouches just made my life so much easier.  Plus, Addisyn LOVES sucking out what is left.   The problem is I am also on a budget and those pouches of baby food cost approximately $1.75 each.  It was starting to add up.

(The first time Matt fed Addisyn)

One of the items I registered for, was the Infantino Fresh Squeezed System.  I hadn't done a whole lot of research on it, but I liked the idea of making my own baby food.  When Matt & I bought the necessary items still left on our registry, we didn't feel like it was something we needed right then, so we held off.  Last week, after realizing how much I was spending on these pouches, I brought the Fresh Squeezed System to his attention.  After much discussion and research, we purchased the items on Amazon.  I spent a little over $50 on the Fresh Squeezed Station (which comes with 10 pouches), 50 additional pouches, the funnel, 2 spoons that attach to the pouches, and one reusable pouch.

Yesterday, I decided I would start small and make some fresh green bean pouches.  I had purchased a bag of fresh green beans BOGO at the grocery store.  Since they were already washed and the ends had been cut off, it was easy!  I just steamed them then pureed them in my food processor.  After this I filled each tube with the green bean puree and pressed down with the suction.  This filled the pouch then suctioned out any additional air.  The only issue I noticed was that since the green beans are water based, the water leaked out the top of the pouch.  No big deal. (Unfortunately, I have no photos of actually using the squeeze station.  I got too involved in the process.)  I actually had fun making the pouches!  In fact, I even went to the grocery store that night to get more fruits and veggies to make more!  Making more meant calling in for help.  Thank God for my mom.  She came over and we spent 3 1/2 hours making carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, pear & oatmeal mix and an apple & oatmeal mix.

The end result: 28 food pouches to put in my freezer.

  I really like the Fresh Squeezed System.  I'm already looking forward to the next batch of food to make.  Just know that as with making anything- it takes time.  I also recommend taking the night off from cooking. :)

The Adventure of Mommyhood: It Begins...

Well, she's here!!!!  I've spent the last 4 1/2 months focused on this sweet little girl and am just now getting back into the swing of things with my new normal.  So, to kick back off my blogging, here is a brief blog (it's mostly photos) of what we've been up to.

Addisyn Kate Sloma was born on May 26, 2013 at 12:45 pm.  She was born nine days early and is determined not to miss out on anything!

She has shaken up our world and truly changed it for the better.  

Her favorite time of day is the morning (not sure who she got that from).  Her world could be absolutely falling apart, but you put her in that bathtub and she is as happy as can be.

She's already been on two big road trips to Evansville, IN & Louisville, KY and then to Orange Beach, AL.  She's a great little traveller!

(She wrote a letter to Santa when we stopped in Santa Claus, Indiana)

(Hanging poolside in Louisville)

(Louisville Slugger Museum)

(Orange Beach, AL)

(The Wharf @ Orange Beach)

She participated in her first Walk to Defeat ALS in memory of her Great Uncle Harvey.

We truly love this little girl and are so thankful God entrusted her to us.  I already can't imagine my life without her.

Now that we are semi in a routine, I hope to be back blogging about our adventure in parenthood, crafting and other miscellaneous things!