Adda-Boo

So, my little Addison--(I call her Adda-Boo endearingly) is a little over 3 months old. It hit me hard this week how much she has grown and how much she has learned in such a short period of time. Here are the "new" and "firsts" from last week:

1. FINALLY outgrew her newborn diapers--we are finishing up the last box. She is so tiny around her middle they still fit around her nicely--but she is so LONG they were beginning to look like low-rise diapers! She is also starting to finally outgrow some of her newborn clothes (mainly in length). She is wearing 0-3 and 3 months clothes now! YAY!

2. Sitting up. While laying on her boppy, a blanket, or slightly elevated she will completely sit up. She hasn't quite mastered sitting up from a completely laying down position--but I don't think we are too far from it. I first realized what she had learned when I came home from work to visit her at lunch and she reached over, grabbed my skirt, and pulled herself up!

3. Talking. She has lots and lots to say--if ONLY I knew what it was! She has become more vocal with her coos and babbles. I took Kaitlyn to the movies on Wednesday--which Addison frequently accompanies me--and I had to step out--not bc she was crying and fussy--but because she wanted to coo through the entire movie!

4. I un-officially weighed and measured her--she is about 11 lbs and 24" long.

5. She discovered her feet! She likes to lay on her back and play with her stinky little feet.

6. She had oatmeal for the first time today! She didn't hate it, I think she just didn't know what to do with it--so she rolled it around in her mouth and then drooled it out as she grinned at me.

She is such a cool little baby. I know, I know--all mother's think this about their kids. I just love hanging out with her and she is such a happy little girl--she laughs and smiles all the time and really only cries when she needs something--I just hope and pray that she continues to be this happy throughout her life! :o)



Look at those little cheeks puffed out!

It's a Shoe-In...Or Is It a Shoe-Out?

This is just weird. For several years I have began to notice random shoes sometimes, a single shoe, some times a pair of shoes--abandoned in what seems to me to be the most random of places. Most of the time it is an interstate, a highway, a road, a street, a sidewalk--and tonight...it was a crosswalk.

This is at the intersection of Independence and Columbus in Virginia Beach. I know it is a little blurry---but you can still see a pair of sneakers in the crosswalk. My mind wanders into a thousand places on this one...did this person spontaneously combust? Did they just decide being barefoot was more fun? Did they fall out of their sneakers and just decide to keep going? Did I miss the Rapture? Was someone just driving down the road and decide...hmm, I just don't need these any more? I mean seriously people, I have never randomly lost a shoe in public.
This is the beginning of a catalog I should have started years ago...from now on when able I will photograph these random shoes!

Can't Carry a Tune =)

OK--I am officially old. This is the quintessential "what are kids these days listening to?" blog.

Here are a few lyrics that I found awkward, disturbing, or just plain funny.

1. "Don't trust a ho, never trust a ho, won't trust a ho cause the ho won't trust me." or from the same song.."Shush girl, shut your lips, do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips."
2. "Doin' da stanky legg, do da stanky legg, do da stanky legg"
3. "The call me her..they call me Stacy..That's Not My Name..That's Not My Name."
4. "Birthday Sex..Birthday Sex..."
5. Oh..and what the heck is a "disco stick" :oP
6. "You da, you da best, you da you da best...best I eva had, best I eva had" (which I believe is an edit of "you da f***in best"
7. "We like her and we like her too...and she like us too." "I can never just pick one so you can't say I'm choosy hoes." and from the same song."my butter pecan Puerto Rican."
8. "Them chickens jackin' my style"
9. "Somebody call 911, Shawty fire burning on the dance floor."
10. "You're a jerk, I know, you're a jerk, I know."
11. "Kiss me thru the phone, see you when i get home"


PLEASE..feel free to add your own really stupid lyrics. I should seriously consider becoming a song writer...I can totally write lyrics like these.

Economy, Smeconomy.

Recession, Recession, Recession. NO JOBS, EVERYONE IS OUT OF WORK. TIMES IS HARD. THINGS ARE JUST TERRIBLE. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH de BLAH de BLAH BLAH.

No jobs, no jobs, no jobs. I meet people everyday who SUCK at their jobs. There is absolutely NO excuse for poor customer service if things are as BAD as we believe and are being told they really are. I can go back to when I bought my Honda Element and experienced horrible customer service at Hall Honda in Virginia Beach--all the way up to yesterday when I waited an hour at the Sprint store to inquire about the balance on Jim's suspended account--only to find out that they had lost my name on the wait list and had been taking people in front of me for about 30 minutes. There wasn't even a stupid balance to pay--they actually owed us money--but it took an hour for anyone to even care for me to find this out. I have been overcharged at Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and Toys R Us in the past 2 weeks. AND nothing irks me any more than for a cashier to over-ring an item on my receipt and not catch it until after I have paid and then have to stand in a LONG lone at customer service to have it corrected. IT WASN'T MY MISTAKE--WHY DO I HAVE TO STAND IN LINE????

People who suck at their jobs, should be fired and places that are so concerned about customer service scores or guestview scores should pay a little more attention to the types of people they hire because guess what---CRAPPY EMPLOYEES EQUAL CRAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CRAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE EQUALS CRAPPY SCORES. This is a no-brainer. There are people out there practically begging for jobs and this is the best we can do? Long waits, over-charged receipts, and ridiculously long lines. Get a clue Corporate America.

Kaitlyn Fire Burnin' on the Dance Floor!

So, Kaitlyn has been staying with me for several weeks helping out with Addison while I am at work. She only asked for dance lessons in return for babysitting! I checked out a couple of studios, but felt the most welcome at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Virginia Beach. The studio is owned by Taras and Wendy Denysenko, who just took over the franchise about 8 months ago. Watching her take lessons has been so awesome! Her temporary instructors have been so complimentary of her dancing abilities and her techniques so many kudos to her permanent instructor, Jose Zuniga!
Her are some pictures from the Friday night dance party and some video of Kaitlyn dancing with one of the instructors, Erick.












Oh--and Addison got her first dance lesson too!

3 Months!

Family Visits and the Bloody Shoe

Last week my whole family (Ingram side) came to visit! We had tickets to see Dave Matthews Band--awesome show btw. Here are a few pictures of my sister, Karen, with my niece, Kassidy, my nephew, Grayson and Addison.






Does anyone remember the 2004 World Series when Curt Schilling pitched game 2 days after having surgery and bloodied his sock--yet went on to win the game? Well---I took my jogging stroller out for the first time yesterday. Addison is barely big enough to fit in it now. Kaitlyn and I went for a little walk--I ran one small section of the lake and thought my lungs were going to explode out of my chest--but mostly I was in pain because my new shoes were rubbing on my ankles--well I pressed forward and made it home. Instead of a bloody sock--I have bloody shoes. (Only a few minor differences in my story and Curt Schilling's) They have been christened well. :oP

My Week in a Nutshell!

Last week ranks up there with one of the busiest, saddest, most hectic, stressful weeks of my life! Jim deployed on Monday for Iraq. They spent some time in North Carolina, had a layover in Germany--flew into Kuwait and then finally landed in Iraq. He is there and is safe. We have had a lot of opportunities to talk--I have been surprised at how much we have been able to communicate. Skype is a godsend--and it is free! Not only can we talk on the computer we can see one another!

A day after receiving word that Jim had arrived safely, his father had a heart attack. Thank God it was a minor heart attack--but nonetheless--it WAS a heart attack. He had a cardiac catheter placed on Monday which revealed no blockage in the main artery, but a 75% blockage in one artery and an 80% blockage in another and then on Tuesday had angioplasty on those two arteries.

I just felt tired and worn out emotionally from such a stressful week--but I am thankful that everyone is safe and getting healthy again. I have to remind myself on a daily basis that there are people who have it far worse off than I and that things could always be much worse.

There was a woman standing next to me at Jim's deployment with 4 children ranging from ages 3-8 (I would assume) and those children were absolutely pitiful. When their father walked away to get on the bus, not only were they crying, but they were yelling, "Daddy, Daddy, don't go." It was enough to rip your heart out of your chest and trample on it a good dozen times. I think I cried just as much for that woman and her children as I did for myself that day. Once again I said to myself--THANK GOD Addison is so little she that she doesn't realize what is going on. It's not that she doesn't miss him, because at 2.5 months old I know there would be some debate on whether or not she would be capable of doing so.

I think I have proof that she does miss him or acknowledges that she remembers him. We had a Hug A Hero doll made for her before Jim left. It is about a 20" doll with Jim's full head to toe picture on it--it is actually more of a pillow than anything. On the bottom of the pillow is says "Daddy love you!" This pillow-doll also came with a voice-recorder and Jim recorded a message for Addison saying, "Dad loves you, be good for Mom." Well last night we had a long day, my sister and her family came into visit and we went walking at the oceanfront and didn't get in until much later than we should have being that it was a work night. So, with her schedule being off--Addison was exhausted, hungry and just plain frustrated. Kaitlyn has been staying with me and helping out and she was trying to calm her down--and was almost in tears herself, trying to tend to her while I was doing some before-bed chores. I took Addison in my arms and began talking to her--she was still upset and crying and I snuggled her Daddy doll next to her and pressed the voice button. SHE STOPPED crying! I pressed the button over and over and let her listen to her Daddy's voice and she just stared at me with a look on her face that I took to mean--"I know that voice, I like it, and I miss it." I know that may be inferring too much--but she stayed silent the entire time I was playing his message. It was a precious and tender moment--and YES...I CRIED!



Here are a few pictures of our family--some of are our last night out together with some friends, followed by his deployment pictures--followed by some really cute pictures of Addison :o) (The day he deployed it was 98 degress and the AC at his unit building was broken--so we look like we are melting in the picture--it was HOT! We all got a little sun that day--even Addison, despite my best efforts to keep her covered)