Happy 16 and 17 months, Addie!

17 months?! Holy cow! I can't believe that 17 months ago I was sitting in the hospital coming to terms with everything. Yes, it's been a long time, but it's still so new and so fresh in my mind... I remember exactly how I felt, exactly how that room looked and smelled, exactly how that first bite of biscuit tasted after three days with no food... all of it. I also remember exactly what Addie looked like when I saw her for the first time.

Well, now...

I am the luckiest Mama in the world... I get to spend each day with this little beauty. :) I am SO thankful for those first few crazy months of her life. I honestly think it has helped me appreciate every little milestone that Addie reaches. God works in crazy ways, folks. So glad He knows what's going on around here.

Addie's stats:

Well, since I totally dropped the ball on her 16 month post (yikes!), I'll just skip to today:

Weight: TBD (she's napping... I'll weigh her when she wakes up)

Height: TBD (ditto)

Clothes size: 9 month (she still wears the occasional 6 month shirt... and she actually can wear 12 month zippy pajamas! Woot!)

Diaper size: 3

Shoe size: 3

The girl loves her some shoes... that is one of her favorite words to say! If you're at our house and your shoes are sitting around, she'll even pick them up and bring them for you to put on your feet. She's happier when everyone has on their shoes. :) ha

Naps: Addie has adjusted well to one nap a day. It has given us a lot of freedom this summer. I'm able to go places with her in the morning and not have to worry about getting her home to nap. She naps for 1.5 to 2 hours at least... sometimes more, sometimes less. :)

Food: I'm not sure if I can list it all... her faves now are mac and cheese, hot dogs (couldn't live without them!), any kind of bread, cinnamon sugar toast, honey nut cheerios, fruit loops, apple cinnamon cereal bars, corn, peas, carrots, green beans, cheese, and puffs. It is such a blessing that she'll eat whatever we put in front of her (usually). We're working on adding more meats and fruits to her diet. For some reason, the texture still doesn't work for her. Her palate could have developed slowly due to her prematurity, so we're guessing that is what is causing the aversion to certain things. She's also just now able to use a sippy cup. We're practicing a lot these days, and she's gotten progressively better. So excited! Times like these that I have to remember how far she's come... without comparing her to "normal" baby milestones. If this is the worst we have to deal with, I'm game. We are very blessed!

This is our newest milestone! Addie is very proud of herself when she stands up by herself! Now, I realize she's almost a year and a half and she's just now doing this... but, ya know what? I like to think that we are lucky that she is still just a crawler! She's much easier to catch! :) She could totally walk, but she's still a little chicken... stay tuned, though. I don't think it will be much longer until we'll have a walker! Help! :)

Addie is very creative during playtime! :) All of the toys this child has, and on this particular morning, she thought the cups were way cooler! She still has a stack of them in her play corner... and her room... and the tub. :) Other crazy toys: paper, magazines, wipes, remotes, phones, and pictures. Her favorite actual toys these days: her play table, her dinosaur toy, her stackable/rolling cups, her dancing toy, sitting on her drum, sitting in her baby doll cradle, stacking blocks... the list goes on and on...

Remember when I said she likes to sit in her baby doll cradle? This is what I meant! :) Stinkin' adorable! This is the perfect place (besides her pink chair) to sit and "read" her books.

Addie is quite the fan of shopping! She loves riding in the shopping cart and looking around at all of the people and cool things on each aisle. As long as she has a bottle or puff cup, she's good to go!

Addie loves hats, too! If she finds one, she's putting it on her head. This is a good thing since her ghost white skin (thanks to her Mama :( means she has to wear them when we go out to play! She's a trooper when it comes to sunblock, too... she's finally gotten used to it (and I've gotten much faster!).

If it has to do with "out," Addie is in! She LOVES to be outside! Here she's playing on her playfort... she also likes her pool, the grass, Mama's flowerbeds... you name it, she likes it! Thankfully, it's been a bit "cooler" lately--as in not 100 degrees out there--so we've spent more time outdoors. She gets hot like I do, so when the heat is ridiculous, we get out early or late in the evenings. I love being home with her in the summertime, but I'm totally ready for fall weather!

See that smile? She loves to slide!

Only downside to this past month was some unwelcomed stomach bug that made its way to Addie. :( Big. Fat. Bummer. It was so pitiful... she was sick the whole time we were on a little weekend trip to Mississippi. We still enjoyed our time with family, and the bug left after 36 hours. I hated the sick part, but I loved the cuddle time! ...and those lips in this picture? Precious. :)

That's about it for now. I have some Father's Day and Trip to the Lake pictures to post, so maybe I'll get to those pictures this week. We have a lot coming up, too... play dates, pool time, and a trip to the Sip. Maybe I'll get to blog about those before she turns two! ha :)

Addie-bug,

You, my darling, are the light of our lives! We cannot imagine what life would be like without your precious smile, intoxicating laugh, and adorable personality! Watching you grow is the most fun we've ever had!

We love you to pieces!

Mama and Daddy