All About the Addison's

William and Ryder...Hanging Out!

2011-02-05T20:18:00.005-06:00

I know I say this a million times, but my boys are so darn cute! William is a nut, he is all about superheroes and playing the air guitar. Ryder is starting to develop one super cute personality. He is in love with his feet, he is pretty good at getting on all 4's and going nowhere and lately he's been doing the sit ups. He's kind of close to crawling but I honestly think he's too chunky to move forward. He's really good at pushing back. He'll get the hang of it eventually. I'm not too eager for this to happen, he'll be into everything before we know it.

A pro at all 4's

1001...1002...working on that sixpack!

Too flipping cute!

Spider William

Rockin' out!

Happy 11th Anniversary

2011-02-05T19:45:00.002-06:00

Last month Chris and I celebrated our 11th anniversary in Austin! I am amazed at how much I love this man. I never thought in a million years I would be this happy with my life. I have an amazing husband who has the sweetest outlook on life and I have 2 beautiful children. What more could a girl ask for? It's no secret Chris and I were married at a young age. I was 20 and he was 22. I always hear people say, if we only did this or we only did that differently...
Chris and I have undoubtedly made some pretty bad decisions but in retro spec they turned out to be all the right ones. You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs! We found our groove, and we are in a great place right now. Each day I wake up and fall in love with Chris all over again. Our marriage is overflowing with laughter and love. I can't believe my whole life changed with 4 little words....Will You Marry Me?

Frog Boys

2011-02-05T18:02:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago Chris and I found the"missing" tote with all of William's blankets and bath towels. This froggy towel was always my favorite and I couldn't resist taking Ryder's picture in it. It scares me how much they look alike!

New Years Day at the Park

2011-02-05T17:51:00.002-06:00

On New Years day Chris, the kids and I took a drive to visit my brothers in The Woodlands. We went out for lunch and then played at the park. Christian channeled into his inner kid and was all over the place. Apparently all those knee surgeries finally payed off. He was swinging with William and chasing that kid all over the place. Good old Uncle Chi Chi! It was a good way to start of the new year, they are always so busy I never get to see the bros as much as I'd like to.

Ryder's 1st Haircut

2011-02-05T17:14:00.003-06:00

What can I say, I've got some hairy boys!! William had his first haircut when he was 6 months old, and of course Ryder needed one too so we went on Jan 2 to get one. That poor boy had a serious comb over kicking and I really wanted him to have something a little more stylish. He did great at first but after the a few minutes, he started to have a meltdown. After it was all done Ryder look just as dapper as ever!! He's such a cutie!!

2-15-05 William's first haircut!

Family Christmas

2011-02-05T17:02:00.003-06:00

I know, this is absolutely pitiful. It's February and I'm blogging about Christmas. But I've been crazy busy and now I'm finally making time to update everything.

This Christmas was so fun. William was in Santa dreamland and Ryder was just fun to have around. He of course doesn't understand a thing going on but he sure is cute to look at! William had a VERY long list of what he wanted from Santa. He wanted Iron Man stuff, building stuff, games, air hockey...oh I could go for months with all the things he kept adding to his list. In the end he got a bunch of puzzles, games, he did get air hockey but a much smaller version of the game. He got a skateboard ramp, basketball goal, a glow station, Iron Man mask, gloves, chest piece and costume. As you can tell in the pictures below, Iron Man was a hit. Next year is going to be even better, Ryder will be mobile and the two of my boys will have a blast with Santa, presents and the entire family.

Dallas Christmas

2011-01-07T00:20:00.003-06:00

The week of Christmas my parent, the kids and I took a trip to Dallas. Oh what an adventure. Thank God for my Ipad and William's DVD player I might have gone nuts. The drive up there took FOREVER. We stopped 3 or 4 times for potty breaks and to feed Ryder. On the way home we got a flat tire in Centerville and almost got involved in a fender bender that happened right in front of us. Despite our drama our visit was awesome. My Tia Carmen was visiting from Venezuela and it's a rare opportunity to see her and I wanted her to meet Ryder so bad. She is my Nanny's sister and the two of them resemble each other so much. I love being around her because everything she does reminds me so much of my grandmother. I am so happy she got to see the kids. Her soft kindness melted my heart.

Finally...I got some awesome pictures of the kids with their Nana, Nanny and Papa!

Warren Family Christmas

2011-01-07T00:04:00.000-06:00

We have tried to make this an annual event and so far the past 2 years have been successful! I just love watching the kids grow up each year. It's so awesome that Staci (Chris' cousin) is now living here for good and I get to be a part of her kids life. I swear I could eat those twins up...Ashley is too big to smother, however I will keep trying!

In an effort to help William behave even better we included Buddy the elf. We followed the Elf on a Shelf system and William named his elf Buddy. Each night he would end up in a different spot and William loved to find him each morning. Chris and I tried our hardest to get creative. He got into the Christmas cookies, and another day wrote a note. He would climb the Christmas tree and even play with William's Nerf basketball net. It was a fun treat to do each day with him, I can't wait for Ryder to have fun with this next year!

Santa Jim

2011-01-06T23:52:00.002-06:00

This party was the highlight of my December!! A customer of mine hired me to photograph their Santa Jim adventure and I thought what a great idea for our group of friends. We rented Santa and had the best party for all the kids!! He read stories, took pictures and had a little magic show. It was so fun to watch the kids hug and basically burst with excitement that Santa was there to visit! There is no doubt about it, we have a new tradition among our group of friends.

Austin Get-Away

2011-01-06T23:44:00.001-06:00

There is one thing Chris and I don't do enough of and that's take a little "us" time. In November we decided it was time. We had a little get-away to Austin and spent 2 nights in a hotel kid free. It was a big deal for me because it was my first time away from Ryder in over 5 months. Chris' mom Becky came to Houston and took awesome care of Ryder and we dropped William off at my parents in Austin. We went to Eddie V's (our favorite restaurant) on Friday night and went to see Joshua Radin play on Saturday night. If you don't know who Joshua Radin is, get to know him. He's awesome and I absolutely LOVE his music!! We also did a couples message and caught up on some much needed R&R. On Sunday we didn't want to get back to reality but what can you do? I can't wait to do it again, Chris and I had a BLAST!! I love that man!!

It's funny, when it's just the two of us, this is how all our pictures look!

William's "Friends"

2011-01-06T23:31:00.000-06:00

I just had to mark this memory and create a post for this. William's "friends" as he calls them are a HUGE part of his life. They are a collection of animals he's come across from birth to now. He sleeps with ALL of them. It's so funny that he tucks them all in at night and makes sure each one is accounted for. They don't have special names, what you see is who they are. Momma lamb, baby lamb, ducky, monkey, bear, giraffe, kitty, doggy, and basically anything else he decides to include in his "party". Not only do they sleep with him, they are a captive audience. I've walked in on him preforming for them...and yes I thought it was the cutest thing ever! As a bonus William has this thing he has done since he was a baby. He sucks and chews on the tails of his animals. It's the weirdest thing but as you can see after years of chewing and washing the tails are almost gone. These fellas are so special to him, I will try my hardest to keep them in one piece as long as they are in his life.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-30T00:48:00.005-06:00

Ahh the holidays. I'm pretty sure our Thanksgiving next year will be a little different. My parents may be living in Houston and hopefully I will not have to host. Not that I mind, but it's good to take a break once in a while. I did all the cooking, and if I must toot my own horn I did pretty good. At least there were no complaints. My cousin Jane flew in from NY and Diana is local so she came too. Ryder had a fantastic first Thanksgiving and William was a perfect angel. It was a good day with the family.

Yes, I got this and I loved what just happened to Uncle Robert!!!

November in a nutshell

2010-12-30T00:21:00.004-06:00

November seemed to have flown by...actually this whole year did. Ryder is growing like crazy and everyday it's something new. He is officially rolling over. Talk about making it easy for mom to remember, November 1st he rolled over from his belly to his back and there is no stopping him. Ryder definitely caught on fast and is a rolling maniac! He has a love of being naked and bath time. It's hilarious, every night before we start our bed time routine no matter how cranky he may be at the moment I take off his outfit and diaper he immediately perks up and once he's in the bathtub he's a completely different child. It's awesome to watch him splash around and have so much fun. William has become Ryder's bath buddy and the two of them are pretty darn cute to watch. Ryder also loves his jumperoo and Baby Einstein videos. I know there are tons of people who say TV is bad...I turned out fine so to each their own. Ryder likes Baby Einstein so he gets Baby Einstein, it's that easy!
William is doing awesome in school. Aside from the constant marks he gets in his folder (mostly from talking too much) he's really learning a lot. I can't believe he's reading...not perfectly but he is making huge improvements with his sight words. He loves to learn and is always trying to spell words. He's also become quite the artist. My fridge is COVERED in drawings and paintings. This little boys imagination is off the charts. With every picture there is a very very long story. What can I say William is a talker. I'm seriously thinking about putting him on a word limit per day, he just doesn't stop!

I did this with a leaf blower....we couldn't stop laughing!!!

Seriously look at that smile!!!

TWINS!!!

My stinker!!

Ryder has a crazy laugh...seriously it's a low tone and sounds so sneaky. I can just tell he's going to be a handful!!

Swinging baby!! This baby loves anything fast and violent. I have to rock him so hard our bounce him so fast...the same goes with swings, the higher the better! Can you believe how light his hair is?

Is that Pablo Picasso?

2010-12-30T00:10:00.003-06:00

In celebration of Fall Ryder did his first painting...with his feet!!! He made a beautiful fall tree to hang in the playroom! He had fun at first but that wore off in 2 minutes!!

Wishful Thinking

2010-12-30T00:06:00.001-06:00

Ryder hasn't grasped his coordination quite yet but he did pretty good with this bottle...in time it will happen.

Just because....

2010-12-29T23:56:00.002-06:00

I love my boys!!! Here is Ryder 4 months old and William all grown up!! Seriously I could just eat them up!

Happy Halloween

2010-12-29T23:45:00.004-06:00

It was such a fun Halloween with all the kids, William and Ryder have so much fun with their cousins...everyone was so flippin' cute!! Ryder was of course Super Man and William was the silver Iron Man, he had the pose and noise down perfectly. That boy is head over heels for superheros, it's awesome!!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-12-29T23:10:00.003-06:00

Yes that's right I'm posting pumpkin patch pictures in December...what can I say I've been busy but I just had to share these super cute kids with everyone!!

The boy's dedication

2010-12-29T21:53:00.003-06:00

In October Chris and I had the boys dedicated at Second Baptist. It was such a fun day with family and friends. I can't wait to watch my boys grow in Christ. William is full of questions and has such an amazing spirit. Our Summer project was to learn the Lord's Prayer which he did before lunch that day perfectly! I'm such a proud mom!

Here we go....

2010-12-29T21:47:00.001-06:00

It has been a very very long time...I'm going to do my best to catch everyone up on the madness going on. Ryder is awesome, William is hilarious, Chris is working hard and I'm just trying to keep it together. I have been abundantly blessed with work. If this is the signs of things to come I am so PUMPED!! I have been slammed this holiday season with new customers and old and I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to capture these special families and children. Check out my work at www.daddisonphotography.blogspot.com

Captain Brainstorm

2010-10-24T14:50:00.003-05:00

This was too good not to post right away. This morning Chris and I were on a cleaning frenzy. While going from room to room I came across William dressed as a superhero. I asked him what his superhero name was and he replied, "Captain Brainstorm"! I was cracking up because I thought that was so creative. Seriously I could hardly contain myself, he picked out the best crime fighting outfit!

Here is his sidekick!

Bouncing is what Tiggers do best

2010-10-15T20:42:00.006-05:00

On Monday William and I did a little project together. He loves to build so why not help me build Ryder's jumperoo. Ryder is a maniac with his legs...constantly kicking so I figured this would be a good solution for all that extra bounce he's got in his step. The verdict is still out because he's wondering why his feet aren't touching the floor. But the more he grows, the more he will love it! William was such a great helper, he such a good thinker when it comes to putting things together. I try and wing it, he actually reads the instructions (or looks at the pictures).

Bring on the rice cereal

2010-10-14T22:33:00.004-05:00

These pictures crack me up. Ryder really can lay on the sappy faces pretty strong. They melt my heart...his bottom lip is classic!! Last week we decided to start Ryder on rice cereal. The decision was out of pure desperation that he might sleep through the night. He did sleep a little longer but has one feeding instead of two. I'm not complaining at all! Ryder did AWESOME with his first bowl. It took some getting use to using, the spoon is such a big change from the bottle. I've noticed that he does get very impatient if you don't spoon it in fast enough. One time I didn't make enough and he freaked out while I was making seconds. Chris and I call him our little race car, he can go from zero to sixty in no time!! What can I say, my boy likes to eat!

GOOOOOOOOOOALie

2010-10-14T22:26:00.004-05:00

It's so funny to watch William play soccer. He's the biggest goofball on the field. For some reason he practices so well at home but during a game he's a little more laid back and always wants to be the goalie. He's pretty good too. Thank goodness I have dental insurance it's only a matter of time before that boy takes a cleat in the mouth.

Ryder 3 Months

2010-10-14T22:20:00.002-05:00

It's so funny how I can get every other baby to cooperate but my own. Ryder has been full of smiles and the one time I want to "officially" do his 3 month pictures, he's Straight Face Stanley. Regardless, smile or no smile he's stinking adorable!!

The Cost of Raising your Child

2010-10-13T21:17:00.003-05:00

On Sunday Chris and I are having both William and Ryder dedicated to the church. I know there are so many traditions and religions have so many ways of introducing Christ in your child's life but for Chris and I it is our declaration and commitment we make before God, family and our congregation that we will do our best to raise our children in a Christian home and with Christian values. Today I went to the commitment class that Second Baptist offers to educate parents in their decision and to give advice on how to help with our child's spiritual growth. At the end of the class the leader read something about how much it costs to raise your child. Below is what he read. It really did strike a cord with me. It's the little things I tend to overlook...it's the little things that will never be replaced in my heart...it's the little things.......

Cost of Raising a Child

~ Anonymous (and slightly revised...)

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle-income family. Talk about sticker shock. That doesn't even touch college tuition.

For those with kids, that figure leads to wild fantasies about all the things we could have bought, all the places we could have traveled, all the money we could have banked if not for Michael, Amber and Casey (Insert your child's name).

For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.44 a day. Just over a dollar an hour. Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you want to be rich. It's just the opposite.

There's no way to put a price tag on:

Feeling a new life move for the first time and seeing the bump of a knee rippling across your skin.
Looking for the first time to see if your child is a boy or a girl, then realizing that it really doesn't matter that much, as long as s/he's healthy.
Counting all 10 fingers and toes for the first time.
Feeling the warmth of fat cheeks against your breast.
Cupping an entire head in the palm of your hand.
Making out da da or ma ma from all the cooing and gurgling.
Smiles that melt your heart and cries that break it.

What do you get for your $160,140?

Naming rights. First, middle and last.
Glimpses of God every day.
Giggles under the covers every night.
More love than your heart can hold.
Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds and warm cookies.
A hand to hold, usually covered with jam.
A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.
Someone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs and never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to keep reading the adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies and wishing on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray-painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there's no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a sliver, filling the wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front-row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications and human sexuality no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.

You have the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever or love them without limits.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows, parenting isn't easy and sometimes, it isn't even fun. OK, so, some of the time you'll hate it and want to walk out the door, never to return.

Nothing this good comes easy, raising a child to maturity in any culture takes commitment, support, information, time and lots and lots of energy.

But, if each parent focuses their attention on the benefits of parenthood, rather than in the cost, perhaps we can teach this culture that children are priceless.

Mr Independent

2010-09-30T20:50:00.003-05:00

I just had to blog about this because I just can't believe how fast William is growing up. There are so many things he's insisting he does on his own. He is now making or attempting to make his own sandwiches. The other day he wanted a sandwich for lunch and I was going to make it for him. He insisted he do it on his own so I pretended to do the dishes so I could supervise. He took out the bread, ham, mustard and took his step stool to climb on the cabinet to get a plate and cup. Then he started to put the mustard on (he made a smiley face) and then neatly put his ham on. I told him I didn't want him to touch the knives so I cut it for him. But he did it all by himself and he cleaned up too!! Then it was on to the drink. He took his step stool, got the milk out of the fridge, moved his step stool to the island and poured himself a glass of milk. I just couldn't believe my child is now fixing himself food. Tonight he wanted to make the macaroni and cheese by himself and I told him he was moving way too fast, I'm not ready for him to use the microwave, that has disaster written all over it.

Another disbelief is his morning routine. He gets himself dressed, brushes his teeth all by himself and then wakes me up. I have my alarm set but some days there is no need. He's already ready to go. He even fixes himself breakfast too. He wants to pour his own cereal and milk. Seriously this is CRAZY when did my baby boy grow up? I guess I can't call him baby boy anymore...tear.

Soccer Star

2010-09-30T20:15:00.004-05:00

William had his first soccer game last weekend and he did awesome. These are just 5 year olds so the World Cup is far off, and it's pretty much organized chaos. As long as he has fun that's all that matters!

That's my boy!!

Thank God we have dental insurance, it's only a matter of time before he stops a ball and gets a foot in the mouth.

William getting a piece of the action.

Ryder's my little joey...he's so cute!

Aunt Michelle giving Ryder some love!

These are some of the best aunts ever to brave HOT weather to cheer for William.

William vs. Ryder

2010-09-22T23:23:00.004-05:00

So Chris and I are going back and forth on the resemblances William and Ryder have. When I see the new faces Ryder has it totally reminds me of William at that age, but then again he's different in so many ways too. For starters Ryder's hair is so light. I do think Ryder resembles the Ladimir side a bit more than William however the birth mark William has in the middle of his forehead is an exact match to Ryder. It's so funny, what are the odds...Chris is to blame for stamping our children!

Ryder

William...check out that dark hair!

You can kind of see the birth mark in the middle of his forehead.

It's Soccer Time

2010-09-22T23:03:00.007-05:00

William is back in soccer!!! I have been alternating t-ball and soccer and it just seems that soccer is a good fit for him. Maybe because there is way more running involved he's never in one place that long...perfect for a 5 year old! We'll see how the season goes, I do know this he's going to have so much fun!

Check out that intensity!

I'm not sure what he's doing here...what a kick though!

September so far...

2010-09-22T21:36:00.008-05:00

September has come and I can't believe it's almost gone. Ryder is almost 3 months old and I can't believe it. He's officially sleeping in his bedroom. We tried it out this past Sunday and he took naps (which he never does) so we decided to push our luck and see how he would do that night!! SUCCESS!! He did great only waking up once. He's not sleeping through the night but he's definitely sleeping better so I can't complain.

As for William, he is doing awesome in school. We are in full swing rewarding him for his good behavior...say what you will but it works! We were off to a rocky start with him getting a few notes from the teacher sent home. Apparently William is really good at bugging his buddy and can't keep his hands to himself...I totally saw this coming. But after explaining to him that this is no laughing matter and taking a few of his privileges away he's turned a new leaf....at least for the moment. We have a parent/teacher conference next Wednesday so I really hope that goes well.

Chris is up to his ears with school. In addition to working he's still going to school to finish up his degree....he's almost there. I keep telling him this is the home stretch. I'm so proud of him, he's really setting a good example for our boys to follow.

I have been in full swing scheduling sessions and getting ready for the holiday rush. I've been buried editing which is why I have been slacking on this blog. I'm finally getting caught up! I hope it stays that way.

Let the smiles begin!!! Ryder is all about the smiles now!!

Ryder is getting so strong, look how well he's holding up his head!

Mom's Labor Day birthday...Ryder was pretty upset he couldn't eat the cake!

This is what my Sunday mornings are like....life is good!!

My big boy!!

Ryder just hanging out with his Papa. I can't get over how light his hair is.

Chris' dad Gary, stepmom Karen and brother Shane came to visit for a few days. They got to meet Ryder for the first time and visit with William. It's been a while since we saw them last...hope it isn't going to be that long of a gap between our next visit.

Sea World

2010-09-17T00:14:00.008-05:00

During Labor Day weekend we went to Austin for some much needed R&R and my mom's birthday. We took advantage of the beautiful weekend and went to Sea World for the first time. Ryder stayed at home with my parents and Chris and I took William on Saturday. I honestly couldn't tell you who was more excited, me, Chris or William. We all had a funtastic day! We made it to all the shows and rode only one roller coaster. We thought William could ride the screaming eel but we were mistaken. He was too short. We told him maybe next year. The fact that he wanted to ride it and was so upset was pretty interesting. He kept telling the lady he's 5 and wasn't scared. Poor lady fell victim to William's begging. He quickly got over it when we saw the sea lion show which was our favorite. I can't wait to go again next year. This time we are going to bring our suits so we can do some of the water rides.

This was the only roller coaster William could ride...those are his arms up in the air. Next year we are going to ride the big ones...he's ready!

This was the best part of the whole day, Chris could have spent all our money just feeding dolphins. We all took turns feeding and petting these beautiful animals. William's face is priceless he was so excited!

The sea lion show was William's favorite of the day!

Kindergarten already?!

2010-09-16T23:32:00.004-05:00

I seriously don't know where the time has gone...I can't believe William started kindergarten!! He did awesome and was so excited....as you can tell. His backpack was as big as he is. William walked right into his class and sat down with no problem. Yes I cried and yes Chris made fun of me...but I'm sorry that's my baby boy all grown up....next it's high school graduation. Oh I just got a realty check.

But he did great his first week. After 2 days of walking him to class on Wednesday I dropped him off at the parents drop off line. I couldn't believe I was watching my child walk from my car into school all by himself. I felt like at that moment the cord was cut. I know it sounds funny but his independence was so overwhelming. I just can't believe how fast he's grown up.

Surgery at 2 months

2010-09-16T23:18:00.003-05:00

This past month we have had to visit a few doctors. A few weeks after coming home from the hospital we noticed Ryder's breathing and how loud it was. It progressively got worse and after sending a video of his breathing to the pediatrician she said we should visit and ENT. It turns out that Ryder has Stridor or also known as Floppy Voice Box. In a nutshell Ryder has extra tissue that flapped around in his airway that would occasionally cause him to stop breathing for just a few seconds, and made feeding incredibly hard. He also snores and breathes so loud that he wakes himself up. Which is why I think he has such a hard time sleeping. On September 1st he had surgery to correct this tissue and it has made a world of difference. He was sedated which really freaked me out. The doctors went through his mouth and cut away all the extra tissue. Technology completely amazes me. He was in the NICU for one night and came home the next day. He's seems to be a much happier baby, I'm still hoping the sleeping habits change but his feeding is much better. It was the hardest thing to see my 2 month old taken away to have surgery but thankfully Chris was there to give me support, I was a mess.

Ryder right after surgery...poor thing.

Ryder 2 months

2010-09-16T23:14:00.004-05:00

Such a cute stinker...he's starting to really fill out!

Height 23inches - 50 percentile
Weight 10lbs 15ozs - 25 percentile
Head 38cm - 25 percentile

The 2 month check up sucks! Here is when the rounds of shots begin. Ryder had 3 shots and did awesome but is there something they can give the parent? He cried for just a little while then slept the rest of the afternoon....I'd sleep too. Shots are traumatizing.

Ryder 1 Month

2010-09-16T22:59:00.006-05:00

Ryder has been the sweetest baby. He's my little angel and such a snuggle bug. I always say if he could he would burrow back in the womb.

Height 20inches - 25 percentile
Weight 6lbs 11ozs - 10 percentile
Head 34.5cm - 10 percentile

It was a SUPER Birthday!

2010-09-16T21:52:00.008-05:00

William's 5th birthday was so FUN! It was Super Hero themed and William dressed for the occasion. He wore his Super William cape that his Nana made him and all the kids had different super hero masks to wear. It's unfortunate that because of the heat you are so limited on what you can do for August birthdays in Texas. Last year William had a swimming party so this year we wanted to do something different. We decided to BOWL!!! Lately William has been perfecting Wii bowling and we just knew having a bowling party would be exactly what he wanted! Everyone was having a blast!! William even stopped in mid-bowl to let Chris and I know that "This was the best birthday ever!!" Seriously that completely melted our hearts. What a sweet boy, and he totally deserves the best!!

William is 5!

2010-09-16T21:26:00.004-05:00

I can not believe I have a 5 year old child! Nothing touches your heart quite like your first child. William is such an amazing little boy! I must say having a boy is awesome, having a little boy like William...a dream come true! He's completely unique in every way. I love how kind his heart is and how he loves to make everyone smile. He loves to be happy and make everyone around him happy too. I have heard he is a born entertainer... I couldn't agree more. 4 was such a fun age but it was hard work too. All the opinions come out and his independence. William had a big year, so many things happened. He learned to negotiate everything, went to a church school (Pre-K) and learned about God, oh and he became a BIG BROTHER!
4 was cool, but I know 5 will be even better!!

I love my child so much!!

In case there are any scouts looking for William to join their team here are his current stats.

Height 44 1/4in. - 90 percentile

Weight 45lbs - 75 percentile

BMI 16.2 - 75 percentile

The Bouncer

2010-09-16T21:01:00.003-05:00

I think I'm in big trouble with this one. Ryder absolutely LOVES this bouncer!! He does get a little fussy in it but all he needs is a little bounce with your foot and he falls right asleep. He's also beginning to focus on objects so he loves the mobile on it. Believe me I would love to have my baby sleep in a crib but he absolutely refuses unless it's at night. It may be that I completely lucked out with William's sleeping habits there is no way I could go 2 for 2. Ryder is the opposite to William when it comes to sleeping. William loved to nap and lay in his bed. He was a cinch to put to bed. Never fussy, hardly whines and he's still the same way. Maybe it's too soon to tell I hope it changes but let the record state Ryder never wants to sleep unless he's in this bouncer or car seat.

It has DEFINITELY been a while...

2010-09-16T19:55:00.008-05:00

Can you tell I have 2 kids? I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since my last posting. So much has been going on, I am multi tasking like I've never imagined I would. Eating with one hand and bouncing a bouncer with my foot while dodging flying objects thrown from William. I feel like a ninja instead of a mom at times. Here is July in a nutshell.

We had our fist trip to Austin!! William did awesome watching his movies as usual the whole way. Ryder did good too up until we hit Austin. He got a bit fussy but calmed himself back to sleep just long enough for me to make it to my parents house. It was a nice relaxing weekend. William always has so much fun there and I was able to catch up on some sleep thanks to my mom helping out with the midnight feedings.

I couldn't resist having sundae's on a hot Sunday. Perhaps my cravings hadn't gone away but William and I couldn't resist. It was like a little ice cream buffet that afternoon.

making it absolutely perfect!

When Ryder was a little over a week old my high school girl friends all got together for dinner and bonding. It's amazing how we have been friends for so long. I love watching all our families grow. Here are just a few of the babies...there are more on the way. I'm going to have to get a photo shoot of all these kids together once they are all born.

Here is Makena (Kathryn's baby girl) and Callen (Megan's 4th)

Callen, Alexis (Deidra's baby girl), Ryder, and Makena

I love how curious Makena was...she couldn't take her hands off of Ryder!

Hello bright eyes!!

This is CLASSIC...Alexis is giving Ryder kisses. These two are only one month apart...Ryder likes older girls so this union will work out perfectly!!

Here is Ryder's first bath and Daddy trying to comfort him. I swear it's so traumatizing for these babies to bathe. After a few tries in this tub we decided to go a different route. He was not a happy camper. I am happy to announce that after a new purchase Ryder is much happier with his soft bath tub.

My little old man!!

Ryder's Newborn Pictures

2010-07-13T12:04:00.004-05:00

Here is our newest additions, Ryder Warren Addison!! He's every bit of precious and extremely handsome!!! I know, watch out proud mom is here...but he is truly a wonderful addition to our family, God is amazing to bless our lives with such wonderful boys!!

Proud Big Brother!!!

Updating...

2010-07-08T20:13:00.009-05:00

There was a lot to celebrate on the 4th, the entire family was finally together! Ryder was able to come home late on July 3rd and we couldn't be happier!! He was given a clean bill of health and all the treatments where a success. Adjusting to having 2 children isn't that bad yet, maybe it's because all that Ryder does is eat, sleep and poop!! I mentioned to Chris that I just don't remember William sleeping this much. But I'm not complaining, I know these days are numbered and the sleepless nights are just around the corner. As of now Ryder is doing awesome. He eats about every 3 hours and is up to 2 1/2 ounces. Sometimes he takes 3 ounces but for the most part he's consistently taking 2 1/2. William loves being the "Big Brother"! He has taken on the roll of "Mommy's little helper" and is taking his duties very serious. He loves to hold the bottles during feedings and watch me change diapers. William is apparently terrified of getting peed on so he keeps a safe distance, it's pretty funny. But there's not doubt about it, William's favorite thing to do with Ryder is shower him with kisses!!

On the 4th, Uncle Christian and Uncle Robert came to visit and hold Ryder for the first time. It was so sweet to see these "giants" hold this tiny baby. You could tell they where being extra careful and a tad bit emotional....they are such awesome uncles!

William wearing his Big Bro shirt proudly!

Uncle Chi Chi...so sweet!

Awwwwwwww......

Uncle Robert taking a good look at his new "Pards"

So sweet!

William's first time meeting Ryder. He was pretty confused on how this process worked. I don't blame him, this whole ordeal of Ryder being in the NICU was very unexpected. Every time I left the house he would kiss my belly and say bye to Ryder not understanding that he was already born. For all he knows, we picked up a baby in the gift shop on the way home and now he's his little brother.

Ready to come home!

Getting dressed for the big home coming

TUBE FREE!!! The wires were about to come off.

This picture was taken the day before he came home...his face is so adorable!!

A few firsts with Ryder

2010-06-29T18:12:00.005-05:00

A bunch of firsts have been going on lately. William had his first visit to the hospital on Saturday. Unfortunately he was not able to see Ryder, but he did get a bloody nose on his way out. Yes that's right...while he was running down the hall he decided to trip and face plant it down the hall getting a nose bleed. A couple of bloody tissues and a rubber glove full of ice and he was back in action. He did manage to color Ryder a picture to decorate his unit with...so sweet.

Late on the 27th Ryder's nurse came to visit and give us some awesome news, Ryder had been taken off his respirator and was back on regular oxygen. His levels were improving and his test where coming back showing improvements and the surfactant treatment seemed to be working. That night we decided to visit before we went to bed and his eyes were open for the first time (or at least the first time we saw them open) so we couldn't resist getting a small family picture. He was looking all around and Chris and I where melting, he just looked like an angel.

On the 28th I was a basket case. I was being discharged from the hospital and unfortunately Ryder was staying. I haven't been able to hold him at all and with each minute I felt opportunities of bonding passing me by. Of course logically thinking I knew this was just a minor speed bump, however giving birth and hormones are a very bad combination and the waterworks where flowing. Before we said our good-byes the nurse asked if I wanted to hold him....um YES!!! Up to that point I have not been able to hold him and the extent of contact we had was patting or rubbing his back. I was on cloud 9, I didn't want to put him up...it was just what I needed to get me over this hump. Chris being the wonderful husband that he was knew that I needed this moment and decided to allow me to have this opportunity for the entire time.

Today we visited Ryder again and another first happened, Chris finally got to hold his baby boy! He choked back the tears and took in the moment. There's nothing quite like watching the father of your children love on God's creation....I thank God each day that I have Chris in my life and he's the father of my children.

Each day Ryder is improving, his levels are slowly getting to where they need to be and soon he will be bottle feeding and eventually will not require oxygen assistance at all. I continue to pray for him every second of the day...I fall asleep praying for him and pick right back up when I wake up. I can't wait to have our family whole, it's only a matter of time!

Hello Ryder!

2010-06-27T00:20:00.006-05:00

Our tiny angel was born on Friday June 25 at 8:12am. He was 7lbs 2ozs 21 inches long and is absolutely adorable!! We weren't scheduled to have him until June 28 but I started to contract on Friday evening and when we called the Dr she said to come on in. After a few hours in labor and delivery, our doctor decided to deliver on Friday morning. It was a complete shock since we where expecting Monday, but obviously the doctor knows best so we where along for the ride!

Ryder was born via c-section (it was a repeat) and everything went smoothly. I'm recovering well, as expected I'm sore but overall doing good.

Ryder on the other hand has had a few issues. After delivery the nurses noticed his breathing wasn't normal after running further test they determined that he has excess fluid in his lungs. He was immediately moved to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for treatment. At first they thought his lung development was premature. After running further test, he was diagnosed with RDS (Respiratory Distress Syndrome). It's very common for repeat c-sections. Unfortunately Chris and I did not see this coming at all. We delivered William at 37 weeks 5 days via c-section and there wasn't a single problem with him. We just assumed the same would be for Ryder. Gestationally he was full term so the risk of being in the NICU was not something we put in our equation.

We spoke to the neonatal doctor last night and he gave us a few updates on Ryder. Since his chest x-ray was worse than delivery day (more fluid in his lungs) they decided on a new route of treatment. For about 24 hours he was just on minimal oxygen and feeding tube. Now the doctor is wanting to be more aggressive to speed his progress along to ensure the fluid is dissolved faster. He was placed on a respirator/c-pap machine (just like Dad!) for breathing and given additional catheters through his belly button. He was also injected with surfactant. Surfactant is a natural chemical that is produced in the lungs of newborns to help with breathing outside the womb. With the combination of my excess amniotic fluid and the fact that he was delivered by c-section the natural surfactant that he developed was washed away. The downside to c-section delivery is the baby doesn't get "rung out like a towel" passing through the birthing canal so all that excess stuff the baby doesn't need and his harmful has to be manually expelled.

So we are just waiting, as patiently as possible to see how Ryder takes to everything. Unfortunately I may be discharged before Ryder is able to come home. To say my heart is breaking is an understatement. I never in a million years expected to leave the hospital without my baby but if this is what is best for him, then I just have to be patient and pray. The doctors are hopeful that he will be discharged on Friday. Again these dates and times are not set in stone and Chris and I are at the mercy of the doctors and Ryder's progress. All we can do is just pray for a quick and healthy recovery. He's such an angel, so many people are dying to give him kisses. First in line are Chris and I, at this point we can't wait to hold him (something we have yet to be able to do). Second is big bro William!! He doesn't quite understand this situation but has been very patient and understanding through out it all.

I have tons of more pictures but unfortunately the connection at the hospital is so slow I'll upload more when I get home.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, hopefully our angel will be home soon!

Ryder's Arrival

2010-06-23T23:02:00.001-05:00

Well Chris and I went to the doctor yesterday and the day has been set, Ryder will be born on Monday June 28, 2010 around 12:30pm!! We are shocked that the day is here already, but so ready to see our baby boy! William has begun the countdown and has already given us the "OK" to allow Ryder to play with his toys just as long as we keep an eye on him and he doesn't break anything. He's also asked if Ryder will pee or throw-up on him. We just told him with babies we can't make any promises...anything is possible! We just ask that you keep our family and new baby boy in your prayers on Monday. I am delivering via C-section and that always worries me, but I have full confidence that I am in good hands. Chris said that he can tell I am chomping at the bit to take pictures of our new baby boy so I'm certain I'll have pictures posted very soon! Stay tuned!!

Family Update

2010-06-13T01:09:00.004-05:00

Our family has hit a few busy spurts here and there. When things come to an end and the Summer begins, there is always some over lapping of events. William is officially finished with Pre-K and I've had to do my best to keep him busy. Luckily we have enjoyed several play dates and Aunt Deidra's pool has been a life saver!! William is back in full swimming form. Last Summer ended with him swimming and both Chris and I where wondering if he would forget all that he learned. Apparently that is not the case. He's jumping off the diving board and literally swimming across the pool, just like riding a bike apparently. T-ball has also come to and end, but I don't mind that too much...it was getting pretty toasty outside. Next will be soccer in the fall. Our only decision is with what league. He's now old enough to join KYSA and we aren't sure if he's going to get all that much out of the YMCA. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.

I've also enrolled William in a 9 week reading class. Since he's going to kinder garden next year I thought I'd give him a head start in the reading department. He has shown such interest in learning how to read his book and William has a tendency to do better in a class room setting so I have a feeling this will be good for him. Check back at the end of the Summer to see his progress.

Two weeks ago Chris had knee surgery. When we lived in Austin Chris had knee surgery on his left knee and it was now his right knee's turn to get some work done. He's been doing awesome with his recovery. Not like he's under any pressure with a baby on the way, but he really is doing a great job.

And now on to Ryder. Last week I went for my regular check up and discussed delivery dates. My doctor has put down July 5 as our delivery date. She has also recommended that I visit a high risk doctor because of a slight abnormality I had with my last ultrasound. My amniotic fluid is high. There could be a number of reasons but to make sure all bases were covered she wanted to know the reason behind the high fluid. This morning we went and the specialist ran all her tests. She was able to confirm that the brain and heart activity are in great shape which was the main concern that could effect swallowing. The belly has a good amount of fluid in it and we saw the face. Her theory behind the high fluid could be an overactive bladder, cleft pallet, or just something unknown. She's leaning toward a cleft pallet because it is apparently inherited and both sides of my family have that trait. She said it's not the end of the world, but does need to be corrected with surgery a few months down the road. Chris and I are praying everything is normal but are also prepared for any speed bumps too. The doctor today also suggested an earlier delivery date so we are now looking at 2 short weeks until we meet Ryder!!!! We are so excited and William is getting pretty impatient and ready to become a big brother!!

Ryder's Update

2010-05-25T23:47:00.004-05:00

This pregnancy has been easy to deal with but I have had my fare share of doctor and date issues that are kind of confusing to say the least. When I first found out I was pregnant in October I made my visit with the OB that delivered William. We had my date of conception down and my due date was set at July 4. Then at my 8 week ultrasound the baby was measuring small and my due date was moved to July 12. At my 17 week ultrasound the baby was measuring at what we thought in the beginning with a due date of July 4.

Stay with me here....it gets even more confusing.

Even though my doctor was not there during the 17 week ultrasound, my due date according to my file remained July 12 even though I was measuring at a July 4 due date.

A few weeks later I get a phone call from my OB's office saying that my doctor has been placed on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy and she referred me to a "temp" OB that is seeing her patients. WHOA...WHAT? Ok call me clueless but I had no idea my OB was pregnant and for her to be that far along and I never notice was crazy. I obviously needed to pay more attention, who would have thought that scrubs and a white coat concealed pregnancy that well. So what choice did I have but to see this new doctor temporarily. I was freaked out. I am not that good with sudden change, especially when it comes to me and my baby and trusting a complete stranger during one of the most important times of my life. I just had to reassure myself that everything would be ok. My temp doctor is very nice....and very honest.

I haven't had an ultrasound since my 17th week and was only able to hear the heartbeat. That was until last week when my very honest temp doctor expressed his interest in the size of my belly. His exact words were, "How far along are you? You are freakishly large." Not exactly what a pregnant person wants to hear but I have a sense of humor and who's kidding I was interested too! He sent orders to labor and delivery at the hospital and I had an ultrasound done at 33 weeks about to begin my 34th week.

At labor and delivery I did a non stress test and then had an ultrasound done. This is where it gets interesting. According to the ultrasound tech Ryder was measuring a little over 5lbs and the size was measuring at 35 weeks with a due date of June 21. Yes, another date thrown into the pool of dates. My next appointment with my temp doctor is June 2. I hope to get all this squared away and have something definite to share in terms of a due date.

Other then the dates, Ryder is kicking like crazy and I couldn't be happier.

Alexis Hope

2010-05-25T23:23:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure if I blogged about this at all but my very best friend since elementary school Deidra has been pregnant with me since the beginning. I told her in October I was pregnant, she told me in November she was pregnant. Talk about FUN...how often do best friends get to be pregnant together? It was awesome being there for each other including being there for the birth of her baby daughter Alexis. Unfortunately Deidra has been going through a stream of problems during her pregnancy dealing with preeclampsia. After several months of specialist visits, doctor visits, and ultrasound after ultrasound, the doctors made the call to deliver at 32 weeks. Definitely not the ideal situation for a first time mom, but the doctors know what they are doing and they have both mom and baby's safety on the top of their list. Last night Alexis Hope Mannion joined our world weighing 3lbs 10oz and 16 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing great and in a few weeks Alexis will be able to go home. I am so happy for the Mannion's, I can't wait to hold that tiny angel!

Maternity Pictures

2010-05-25T23:09:00.002-05:00

I am absolutely loving this pregnancy. The first time around with William was a bit difficult. I was dealing with swelling and was down right uncomfortable. But this time around has been awesome. I had a minor stint of morning sickness and nausea, but once that passed I was good to grow and boy have I grown. It's so weird how this pregnancy is completely different. My belly has completely popped out. A few weeks ago my cousin Tasha took a few maternity pictures and I absolutely love what she did and her creativity. I was climbing down ravines (with the help of Chris) and laying on logs, but I didn't care one bit. I had full trust that she was in control. If she wanted me to climb a tree I probably would. I am so happy she was able to capture this moment, I love how they turned out!!

William's Preschool Graduation

2010-05-25T22:34:00.004-05:00

When we moved back to Houston last Summer one of the first things Chris and I wanted to do was get William involved in school. He loved his school in Austin and we didn't want to miss a beat. Bear Creek Baptist Church was an excellent decision. They have an awesome Mother Day Out program and their Preschool is top notch! Along with preparing him with the basics for kinder garden, he was building a strong foundation in Christ. I can not tell you how much we love the stories he came home with that he learned about the Bible. One cute story that made us laugh was during Easter they waved palm leaves and sang Hosanna. William saw my salad and decided to pick up a leaf and wave it at me and sing Hosanna. I was cracking up and loved that he was incorporating what he learned at home. Another sweet thing I love is his routine at meal time. It's so easy to forget to thank God, William would always remind us to say our grace. And when I feel like I'm coming unglued, William loves to remind me that God wants us to love one another. Our home is filled with songs of praise and our lives are better because of it. These are lessons and memories that will stick with him forever.

Diploma time...and yes they announced that William will be part of the graduating class of 2023...feel old?

Can you tell we are some proud parents.

He sure does love his uncles!

Ryder's Baby Shower

2010-05-25T20:34:00.005-05:00

On May8 my loving friends and cousin were so kind to throw Ryder and I little baby shower. I'm so blessed to have such amazing people in my life, I can not wait to use all these wonderful gifts for my new baby boy!

The yummiest brunch a pregnant lady could ask for!

This is CLASSIC....oh the things they come up with now a days!

I'm a sucker for cutesy stuff...I just love all the personalized gifts I received.

Staci and Tasha...what a trio we make!

My beautiful cousin Diana and super happy Mom

My girls...I love these ladies, the sisters I never had.

Mother's Day Tea

2010-05-25T20:20:00.003-05:00

I'm playing catch up again...but at least I'm not that far behind. Right before Mother's Day William's school held a Mother's Day Tea honoring all the incredible moms out there. The moment I walked in the door I was greeted by William with pure excitement! He couldn't wait to show me what he had made for me and to sing his special song (Skinamarinky Dinky Dink, Skinamarinky Doo, I Love You) they worked so hard to learn. Let me just say, a room full of cute children loving their moms and a pregnant lady's hormones equals balling. But I choked back the tears and had such a fun time. They had a plate full of yummy snacks and William served me lemonade and tea. To say my heart was melting would be an understatement. I was so happy to have a son like William, at that very moment my world was complete...I love my child so much. God has big things planned for his life, I just know it!

Texas Bluebonnets

2010-05-07T16:25:00.003-05:00

I just love bluebonnet season in Texas! We took a trip out to Chappell Hill about 2 weeks ago just in time to catch the tail end of the season!

Abundantly Blessed

2010-05-05T18:27:00.003-05:00

It's a wonderful thing when you can say how blessed your life is. The Addison's are definitely a blessed family.

Chris recently got promoted and now has his own store and I'm so proud of him. He's worked so hard and definitely earned it.

William is playing T-ball and is almost done with his first year of pre-school. He's learned so much this past year. Of course the basics like the alphabet and spelling his name, sharing and listening to the teacher. I love the songs he's learned at school. It's awesome to hear your child sing songs he's learned and praise God at the same time. It's funny to hear him sing Hallelujah and spell JESUS! I definitely need to get those songs on video, he's learned so many they are so stinking cute. It has been a wonderful year of preparation for kindergarden next year...yikes!

As for me, my photography business is booming. I can't believe how busy I have been, I am not complaining at all. For updates on what I've been up to visit me at www.deannaaddison.com or www.daddisonphotography.blogspot.com for my recent photo shoots. It's funny how all of a sudden I'm so busy and I'm doing all of this pregnant. I feel like my belly is about to explode. I have a feeling that after May I will take a break and pick back up after Ryder is born. Between my belly and the Texas heat, it will probably be for the best to rest up and get ready for our little bundle of joy!

Speaking of Ryder, what a stinker. He's getting pretty big, my belly is sticking straight out. It's interesting how each pregnancy is different. With William I was huge all over, literally from head to toe. With Ryder my belly is the only thing expanding...thankfully. I am hoping I don't swell like I did with William, but I have 2 more months to go so anything is possible. As for now we are just having fun watching him move all around. Chris loves to try and figure out if it is his hand or foot we are feeling. I swear it's like he's rearranging furniture in there. It's interesting how he's only active at night, so I have a feeling we might have a night owl on our hands. But I love feeling him kick, it's such an amazing feeling to experience. William gets a kick out of it too...no pun intended!

Easter with the Family

2010-05-05T18:04:00.005-05:00

I am so blessed to have the family I have. It's always fun when we get together, I want so badly for William to understand the importance of family and what it means to be there for one another. I pray that the foundation Chris and I are building with Christ and with our family stays with him as he grows up and understands this world a little better.

William found all the eggs!!

For once I can get some pictures of me and William, I'm usually behind the camera!

Our anti-aging parents!

William's favorite Uncles...and in the words of William his "Best Friends"

Mom and Dad's crazy Rocket

Chris's baby girl Roxy...she's getting so old.

Easter Egg Hunt at William's Church School

2010-05-05T17:46:00.004-05:00

I can't believe I'm so late with all these posts, but here are some pictures from William's Easter Egg Hunt at his Church school. They had fun little games and always a crowd pleaser...a jump house!

T-Ball Fun

2010-05-05T17:11:00.007-05:00

William started T-Ball last month and he loves it!! You can't expect too much from a 4 year old it's not like they are headed to the World Series but it's pretty funny to watch.

This is how the kids field the ball....it's a dog pile!

Bobble head William

Getting ready to throw...we are still trying to figure out if he's a lefty or a righty. He throws with both so it's kind of hard to tell.

Running home!!

Houston Rodeo

2010-04-10T13:45:00.007-05:00

I thought I was completely behind on my posts but apparently I haven't been that bad. At the end of March we took William to his first Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We started off the day transforming William into Batman. Literally, he was called Batman all day and acted like the cape crusader, it was so funny! William enjoyed the petting zoo and played with a pigs tail and Chris made friends with a llama that followed him around the whole time. William also loved the bull riding and chuck wagon races, he was really good at picking the winner. But I would have to say, he had the best time at the carnival. Chris spent almost all our money trying to win this stuffed black spider man, when finally I just said can you ask the guy if we can buy it from him. Chris already tried and the man said no, so unfortunately we left empty handed. (All I could think about was the scene in Joe Dirt where he was spraying Pam on the game so no one would win...it felt impossible). But as a consolation prize, William rode his first real ride, some spinning seat thing that nearly gave me a heart attack. No lie all I could imagine was William falling out of that seat. Chris was supervising, but he was wedged in the seat behind him there wasn't much he could do. So I just held my breath and watched my boys have a good ole time. We also did the ferris wheel and William got an awesome view of the entire carnival. I would have to say it was the perfect day for William's first Rodeo experience, I can't wait for next year!!

Becoming Batman was one of the high lights of the day!

A rare shot, the whole family in a picture...thanks Mr. Cowboy for taking this picture!

Ready to go...and I started to panic!

PANIC PANIC PANIC!!

Chris is such a big kid!

Ryder's New Room

2010-03-15T12:14:00.003-05:00

Ryder's room turned out better then I could have ever imagined!! Becky (Chris' mom) came in town last week to help out with painting the room. I'm that mom that likes to get it over with so I can really kick up my feet and relax toward the end waiting for the baby to arrive. Becky did an awesome job painting and on the last day Chris was able to help finish with the chocolate stripe. To say these two are perfectionists would be an understatement. Their hard work definitely paid off. Ryder's room is so peaceful, I absolutely love the outcome, I can't thank them enough for all their help and hard work!

1st Trip to the Dentist

2010-03-15T12:03:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday William had his first trip to the dentist's office. I wasn't worried at all, for some reason he doesn't mind going to the doctor's office so I was totally calm about the dentist. I was a little worried he would find the dentist's tools to be fun, so keeping his hands to himself was on the top of my list. But he took the whole trip very very seriously and did AWESOME!! He had x-rays done, took a tour of the office, had a cleaning and came home with ZERO cavities!!! I was very relieved since we sometimes forget to have him brush his teeth at night. Since he did such a good job at the end of his visit, Chris decided the family needed to celebrate with a milkshake...not his best idea but that's what dad's are for!

Rainy day fun

2010-03-09T01:43:00.002-06:00

Today was a gloomy rainy Monday so William and I had a little fun. I attempted to build a fort and it stayed up. I have zero construction or architectural experience so judge away, but let me just say...it is still standing!! We had a little lunch picnic and movie time in our new fort. If you asked William, it was the coolest thing since sliced bread! In fact William had so much fun, after I put him to bed tonight he snuck out of bed and went back under it and fell asleep. It was so cute.

Rockin' Out

2010-03-09T01:31:00.002-06:00

I am laughing just thinking about this from the other day. Chris, William and I were all getting ready for our day of fun. I was playing some Journey and this is what I found William doing in the living room in front of Chris. I couldn't believe he wasn't filming this or had the camera out. I was cracking up so bad tears were flowing. William seriously was a one man Journey band. I have it on video but I think it might be too large to post. I'll work on it though, it's so funny, complete with 'stage dives"!

Singing "Don't stop Believing..."

His rock tribute...so funny!

Notice the intensity...hilarious!

Western Day at School

2010-03-09T01:26:00.002-06:00

Last week was western day at school and William was so excited! Since the rodeo is in town and we will be taking William for the first time I couldn't resist buying him his first pair of cowboy boots!! I must say, William is a fan of the cowboy gear, and absolutely adorable in his boots. I really can't wait to see how he reacts when he sees the cowboys in action at the rodeo...so fun!

William's Room Makeover

2010-03-09T01:20:00.002-06:00

Chris and I decided that since Ryder is getting a new room we really didn't want to leave William out. When we moved to Houston I really didn't do much with his room. I definitely wanted to make it fun for him to enjoy. I've been eye balling this quilt at Target for sometime now and finally got around to fixing up his room. He loved it so much the next morning he made his bed all by himself!! I couldn't believe it, how stinkin' cute.

Valentine's Park Day

2010-03-09T01:11:00.006-06:00

It was a beautiful day in Houson on Valentine's Day so we went to the park as a family and then had a late lunch. I couldn't believe how perfect the weather was...too bad it didn't last long.

This rocket was so cool, William loved it!

Chris was helping William with his first pull up...that didn't go so well.

William's Playroom...the finished product

2010-03-09T00:59:00.003-06:00

It's finally done. Chris did an awesome job, and I was finally able to find totes for the cubies. William loves it so much and I couldn't be happier that everything is organized. There is even a pole at the end for his costumes to hang, we tried to think of everything to keep this system simple and easy to use.

1st Gymnastics Class

2010-03-09T00:52:00.003-06:00

Back in February I signed William up for a free gymnastics class to kind of test the waters to see how he did. He had fun, but I just don't think it's a right fit for him....maybe in a year or so.

Children's Museum

2010-03-09T00:31:00.004-06:00

The Houston's Children's Museum is so darn fun. Apparently they did some updates to it in the past year or so. I have no idea what it looked like before, but I love it now. So much I got a membership so William and I can go as much as we want. He loves all the creative stuff you can do and I think it's so awesome how they have so many things that spark the imagination. The Kidtropolis City has a bank, ambulance, police car, HEB, food diner, and vet clinic. It's so much fun to watch William's imagination at work.

Apparently he's resuscitating some lady's leg. It's so funny he even says "CLEAR"!

CSI William

This part cracks me up, they have an HEB in the "city" and lists you can shop from. William is so exact with how many of each item he gets as well as they have a check out counter so you can scan your item and even pay...genius!

This place is so darn cool. They have a complete city in this place, one of William's favorites is the Vet Clinic. The kids can pretend with real equipment and even check out x-rays..so much fun!!

Hello Picasso!

This is so funny, Chris was like a kid in a candy store, he loved all the stuff you can build, he wouldn't leave the bottom floor.

Dad's Birthday

2010-03-09T00:24:00.003-06:00

It was so nice to get away for a weekend.
I've missed my family...it's so funny when we all get together!

It's been a while...

2010-03-08T23:56:00.002-06:00

Goodness, I just realized how long it's been since I've blogged last. In addition to getting ready for Ryder, we've done a few things in between. My belly is definitely growing and Ryder is such a mover. He's mostly active at night and and when I play music for him. Yes, I'm that mom who plays music for her unborn child. Mostly classical, but I'm waiting for Chris to switch the CD to either Rush or Journey...it's only a matter of time. William is loving the idea more and more each day about being a big brother. He thinks that along with the "big brother" title he's suppose to grow each day too. He is constantly measuring himself against me and Chris as well as weighing himself nightly. He has also had me go as far as to pull his legs while he holds on to our ottoman. He thinks I'm going to stretch him out...that kid cracks me up!

The next couple of entries are mostly pictures...I finally got around to organizing!!

It's a Boy!!

2010-02-11T14:05:00.002-06:00

We are so happy to announce we are having another boy!! Chris was holding my hand during the ultrasound and he was sure it was a girl, but low and behold, our boy revealed himself and all our uncertainties were gone. There is no doubt we are having a boy, and our little family is so excited!! Last night I asked William what he wanted, he said a brother. Looks like he got what he wanted, I can't wait to share the news with him. We've been throwing lots of names around but I'm almost certain we are going to stick with Ryder Warren Addison!! Warren is a a family name from Chris' mom's side and Ryder, well we picked that name because it's the only name Chris and I could agree on. We are only half way there, so who knows if the name will change. I'm just so excited to finally know what we are having, everything else seems downhill from here!

What's been going on...

2010-02-08T23:36:00.003-06:00

Not much has been going on. My belly is growing by the day it seems. Sorry I'm not comfortable with posting pictures of my belly so you are just going to have to take my word for it! On Thursday we find out the sex. Last Tuesday I came so close to finding out the sex but our little peanut just couldn't sit still long enough for our doctor to get a good look. But this Thursday I will stay in that office as long as it takes to find out the sex. There are a lot of theories, Chris is convinced it's a girl....he said if it was a boy, they would have been able to see the penis with no problems. Typical guy to think that way. I took this test from Walgreen's and it said I was having a boy, so I actually have NO idea or any feelings on either or. I will be equally excited for a boy or a girl. I have my boy bedding picked out, and would love to girl shop, so either way I'm ready to shop! I just need to suppress my urge a bit and begin spoiling this baby!! Baby steps....no pun intended!

So in our prepare for baby stage, our home has been turned into one giant organization project. First step was to tame William's playroom. That little boy is incredibly blessed and has so many toys coming out the wazoo...and the attic. Since he will be sharing his playroom with the baby we have decided to give it a little make over and begin organizing. Below is our finished product. Chris did an awesome job of building this awesome shelving system that holds all his books (big and small), TV and tons of toys. My next task is to find more attractive totes and to clean out a few of his toys. Right now I just put what he had out already in totes, but every couple of months I like to rotate his toys. Needless to say I've got my work cut out for me. He's got a tight inventory on all his toys, and if one is missing I have to come up with some sort of clever story to tell him. Perhaps I can convince him a superhero wanted to borrow a few of his toys, I wonder if he would buy it.

So today we asked William what are some things he was going to teach the new baby. His answers were so cute, I loved his responses.

1. How to play cars

2. How to scoop his food on his spoon

3. How to have good table manners

4. How to sing his church songs like Away in a Manger

5. How to hold down his pee pee on the toilet (he said that the other day, I was cracking up!)

6. How to run

Then he asked where is the baby going to sleep. I said the new baby will have his/her own room. Apparently that was not what he wanted to hear, William insisted that the baby sleep in his room. Something tells me he will quickly change his mind once he hears the baby crying all the time.

To prepare myself as a type of refresher course I have been watching TLC's Baby Story and I'm not alone, William is a fan too. Which cracks me up! I think it helps him comprehend and understand this pregnancy and baby prep a little better. Every time he watches a baby being born he screams, "Mom, you are going to have a baby too!"

Chris and I have this feeling that William will be the best big brother. We are of course anticipating some jealousy, but William is so darn curious. He constantly rubs my belly, he is always kissing my belly and loves talking to my belly button. William continues to tell the baby who he is and that he is going to be a big brother. Oh my heart still melts, I don't think that will ever get old.

Superhero in training!

2010-02-02T22:49:00.003-06:00

There just aren't enough superheros in the world! Lately William has been on a huge superhero kick. He is in love with all things Batman and Spiderman, and recently Star Wars. His imagination cracks me up and recently it's been on overdrive. He insists on wearing some sort of superhero pj's to bed each night. This special request has caused me to do his laundry more frequently and he's dressed as either Spiderman, Darth Vader, or a Transformer almost each day. The other day I was in his room cleaning and I walked into the living room to find Darth Vader with a Dirt Devil vacuuming....yes I was cracking up! Yesterday William was watching Spiderman and I walked by to find him dressed in his black Spiderman costume upside down on his chair imitating Spiderman sliding down his web. But this story is his imagination at his best. On Sunday he tried to convince me and Chris that he was bit by a "radio spider" (not a radio active spider) but a "radio spider". He said that he will be able to climb up walls and he'll have webs coming out of his hands. Chris and I didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't real, so we told him just to be careful when he's jumping from building to building. I swear, William's imagination is so stinking fun...I hope it never fades away!!

Recently I added a lightsaber to his costume...which he LOVES!!

Happy New Year

2010-01-14T23:11:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe 2010 is already here. It was a great end to 2009 at the Mannion's house. The kids had a blast watching the fireworks and doing sparklers. Chris got a few other fireworks for the kids to enjoy, it's hard to tell who had more fun, Chris or the kids. This is going to be such an exciting year! William is growing up to be such an awesome little boy and he's very excited to be a big brother...obviously Chris and i can't wait!!

Merry Christmas...finally

2010-01-14T22:47:00.004-06:00

I finally got around to posting pictures from Christmas. It was a great time with family, William had so much fun this year. He couldn't wait to see what Santa left for him!

Happy 10th Anniversary

2010-01-08T10:55:00.003-06:00

Wow, 10 years...I have tears of joy right now as I write this. God is amazing!!! Chris and I have had our share of ups and down but through the power of prayer and only by God's grace are we able to celebrate this memorable milestone. A few years ago Chris and I started to do away with cards and decided to write our true feelings to each other. I don't need a generic Hallmark card to express how I feel. Don't get me wrong, I love receiving them from time to time, but on a special occasion like this, Chris and I are better at writing or expressing our feelings. Ten years ago Chris and I were babies, I was 20 and Chris was 22. We thought we knew what love was and of course in our mind had it all figured out. No way did we have it figured out, not even close. That was what our journey was for, to figure marriage out together. We hit the usual speed bumps but always fell back on our faith to get us back on track. Thankfully we surrounded ourselves with inspirational people that always encouraged and guided us in the right direction. So here we are, 10 years of marital bliss under our belt, joined by a beautiful 4 year old son and another baby on the way.

This is a dream come true, our life is a dream come true. I never thought in a million years that I was worthy of love like this, and now I see that God has truly blessed my life! I am amazed that I married a man that isn't afraid to express his love for me. He is always reminding me through out the day that I am on his mind and that I am loved. I am so grateful for the spark we have, I don't see that fire dying out anytime soon. I am inspired by his faith in God. This past year I have seen Chris grow tremendously in his faith and we are both humbly brought to our knees in praise. I love the father he has become. There was a lot of fear on both sides wondering if we were going to be good parents. Just like life, we are learning as we go along...all I can say is we are trying not to mess William up too bad. He's definitely a fantastic child, our lives are better because of him. I can't wait to see what joy our new baby will bring. Life is so exciting for us right now. There is so much we are looking forward to.

I am so thankful for the past 10 years, I can't wait to see what the next 1o will hold....I love you Chris....I am in love with you! Happy Anniversary babe, you are the best husband a wife could ask for!

The Dash

2010-01-04T22:53:00.002-06:00

I went to a funeral today and remembered a man that enjoyed and loved his life. This poem was read and I had to share it with everyone, such beautiful and true words. I'm so blessed to have the life I have, thank you God!

The Dash
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life's actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Snow Day

2009-12-04T23:18:00.004-06:00

What a magical day...especially to a 4 year old. Last night we told William it was going to snow...this morning he woke up at 5:00 am asking if it was snowing yet. Around 1:00 it finally started to come down and we lucked out! It was amazing! Chris, William and I all ran outside and had snowball fights and played in the yard. William was eating snow off the leaves and had a blast playing with the snow. It was pretty thick considering it was Houston. We even built a pretty good snowman / snowlady. I didn't prepare properly and have the required snowman gear, so I had to improvise. It was an awesome day and perfect start to December...I hope we get some more snow for Christmas...fingers crossed!

Throwing snow balls!

Crazy this is Houston right?

William putting the final touches on our um...snowman/snowlady

Christmas is coming....the Savior is born!

2009-12-04T22:58:00.004-06:00

For the past 3 weeks William and I have been practicing Christmas songs to sing at his school's Christmas program. He learned Silent Night, Christmas is Coming, Away in a Manger, Happy Birthday Baby Jesus, We Wish you a Merry Christmas and a few others. Last night was his program and he did such a wonderful job. In addition to singing he was also one of the 3 wise men! Oh my goodness, he was so darn cute. Yes, I teared up a few times. I was so proud of him!

Cuteness!

Singing and doing the sign language to Silent Night.

The cutest little wiseman!

Uncle Robert joined in the fun!

Zoo Date

2009-12-04T22:13:00.003-06:00

In the middle of November William and I had a very memorable date. I try to make sure William and I have a few dates a month. We love doing different things together. Some days we go to the park, others we go to the movies, and a few weeks ago we decided it would be a perfect day for the zoo. It really was an awesome day. I had a blast walking around watching William get so excited seeing all the animals. We've gone to the zoo before, but something about this time seemed more exciting than usual. Maybe it was because it was just us two and we really took the time to talk about the animals. His favorite was the reptiles, he also loved the HUGE orangutan Rudy. I've never seen a monkey that big before. Afterwards we treated each other to a snow cone and walked around this little park next to the zoo. As we both ate our sour apple snow cones, I went to take a bite of mine and noticed a bee. So I did what was expected when you see a bee on your snow cone about to go in for a bite....I freaked out and dropped it. William had a laugh but then he said the sweetest thing ...he grabbed my hand and said, "don't worry Mom, we can share mine." My heart melted and yes I almost broke out into tears...what a sweet child with such a wonderful heart.

November updates

2009-12-04T22:04:00.004-06:00

Not too much has happened in November.

William finished out the soccer season and I crowned Chris coach of the year! All the parents thanked him for a wonderful season and told him what an amazing job he did. They even gave him a little present, which I thought was so sweet. They also asked if he was going to coach next season because they want to request him as their coach!

Big News!

2009-12-04T21:42:00.002-06:00

November has quickly come and gone and I can't believe Christmas is around the corner.

First let me start with some extremely exciting news....Chris and I are expanding our family and expecting our second baby in July. We are over the moon excited!!! William is really pumped about being a big brother. I'm really glad we waited, I couldn't imagine focusing my attention to another child other than William. He's finally at that age where he understands what a baby brother or sister means. If you ask him what he wants, he says a girl and calls her Lala (his favorite little girlfriend's name) and then he says he wants a Brandlund (Lala's brother) and then he says he wants both. Well thankfully at my last ultrasound the doctor confirmed that there is only one baby brewing in my belly so the chances of twins is out! Thank goodness because I'm not the best multi tasker. So now we just have to wait patiently to see what the sex will be. At first I did not want to find out, but who am I kidding, I can't even keep a surprise from Chris, how would I expect to keep one from myself? So we are finding out. I just went to my first ultrasound the other day and the doctor said the heartbeat is very strong and we got the first picture of our little peanut. I think reality really sets in once you hear the heartbeat and see the image of God's creation growing inside you...and just as I thought, I was just as amazed with hearing the heartbeat of this baby as I was the first time hearing it with William. God's miracles...what a blessing!

So here are some funny things William has been doing to get ready for baby number 2. He's been talking to my belly button. I'm not showing yet, although I feel my pants getting tighter by the day. William just doesn't understand that the baby is really small and it's in there but it's just hard to see. The other day I was getting dressed and he put his tiny two pointer fingers in my belly button and began to spread it open as far as he can and tried to take a peek inside. I was cracking up because all he said..."Mom I don't see the baby" then he looked behind my back and said, "no baby there either". I was laughing so hard...how darn cute was that? He's also started singing to my stomach all his Christmas songs....he's going to get big brother of the year and the baby isn't here yet!

Air Show

2009-11-05T18:51:00.006-06:00

Last Sunday the Addison family went to the Wings over Houston Air Show at Ellington Field. It was awesome to see these amazing planes up close and in action and not to mention the weather was PERFECT. This was our first year to go and I can't wait for next year. Chris took all the pictures that day so I had the day off...well kind of, I had to keep a close eye on William. Chris did an awesome job with these pictures...as you can tell we had a fantastic day!!

William was able to meet a real piolet and check out the cockpit...he was so excited!!

I just can't believe how close these planes fly together...it's unreal.

Halloween Party

2009-11-04T15:48:00.004-06:00

Chris and I threw William his first Halloween party this year. He's completely into the fun of Halloween and couldn't resist having a costume party for the kids. Not to mention, they never get to wear their costume that much, it was a great excuse to let the kids play as their favorite Halloween character!

This was the best I could do, these kids did not want to sit still!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-04T15:33:00.003-06:00

I just love Fall!! The weather has been absolutely beautiful the past couple of days and we couldn't resist going to the pumpkin patch last week! I went with Tasha and Kate, poor Jakob was in school. But the kids had a good time...they are such cute cousins!

What a character...

Don't you just love his fake watch?

She is absolutely adorable!!!

William's new swing set

2009-11-04T15:12:00.004-06:00

Chris and I decided that for William's 4th birthday present it would be great that instead of an overload of toys that he would either ruin or lose, we would have everyone interested chip in for his new swing set. With the Summer heat being ridiculous we decided to hold off until the weather was nice so that William could really enjoy it. The verdict is in and he loves it!! It was a big challenge putting together, but after a trip to Lowes and 5 hours of labor, the swing set was complete and ready to use! Chris did a great job, he's such an awesome dad...and handy too!

Before...

After!

Dad seems pretty pleased with himself...this picture is priceless,

I caught him in such a state of bliss!

Uncles

2009-11-04T15:03:00.004-06:00

This is a rare occasion...all my brothers were in town and my oldest brother David hasn't seen William in almost a year. William and I took a drive to The Woodlands to have dinner and bond...poor William, they love to throw my child around, but he loves it!!

William getting a little payback, he can hold his own that's for sure!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-19T11:00:00.004-05:00

Halloween is in full swing in the Addison home! I made the mistake of buying William's Halloween costume early thinking nothing would be left if I waited a few weeks. Goodness what was I thinking; William has been wearing that costume almost on a daily basis. As a precaution I spray it down with Lysol just to avoid it smelling by Halloween. I'm not kidding when I say William absolutely loves wearing it. One day he was so tired from school he was wearing it and watching TV and he fell asleep. The funny part is, I had no idea he was asleep because he had the mask on...it was hilarious because I was calling him and he wasn't responding, I took off the mask and started cracking up...what a dedicated super hero!! He's taken his role as the Black Spider Man very serious...spinning webs all over the house and saving the day! If I need help with anything he runs to me, stops dead in his tracks and puts his hands on his hips and does his best super hero stance and uses his very convincing super hero voice and says, "How can I help you?" It's too cute; I can't help but play along!!

Off to save the day!

Go web go!!

Did someone say Spider Man?

Perfect solution for a spider!

Dinos and more

2009-10-06T23:02:00.004-05:00

Last Monday Chris and I attempted to take William to the Children’s Museum. Well, I didn’t get the memo that it was closed on Mondays. Instead we took William to the Museum of Natural Science. Let me just say, William LOVED all the dinosaurs. It was a great last minute decision!

Soccer Soccer Soccer

2009-10-06T22:22:00.004-05:00

Well it’s that time of the year again, let the Fall sports begin!! William is trying soccer out for a second time. His soccer experience in Austin was cut brief with our move to Houston so here is round 2. In addition to our little player…Chris is coaching!!! Fun times are ahead of us…all Chris and I could think about was the movie Kicking and Screaming.

Update

2009-10-06T21:31:00.003-05:00

So it's been a while since I've blogged about specific topics that have been going on so here's a brief summary on all the chaos and love in our home.

Along with an awesome tan from the Summer, William developed a little ear infection. It's crazy that all of a sudden he has one, it's been a long while, especially since he has tubes in his ears. But I guess when you spend almost everyday in the pool, it was bound to happen. So after several trips to the pediatrician, she finally recommended we visit an ENT. His right tube naturally fell out and was in his ear canal which they took out and gave to me. Believe me, I looked at the doctor and in my head was thinking 'what the heck am I going to do with this'? Well the brilliant doctor suggested William put it under his pillow for the Tube Fairy and he will get money. The doctor continued telling William this story that the Tube Fairy is the sister of the Tooth Fairy. So what does a typical 4 year old do when a possible fairy/money situation comes up...doesn't stop talking about it!! So William put his tube (in a zip lock bag) under his pillow awaiting the Tube Fairy's arrival. She left him 4 bucks!! I know, Chris and I are such suckers! The next speed bump is the left ear that still has the tube in it. He will have a tiny procedure to remove it and patch the hole, all this will take place in January.

So in addition to all of William's ear drama I made sure that before we left the doctor he was able to hear. Turns out medically he can hear just fine...so what is up with all this rebellion? William has come into age 4 blazing!! This kid is head strong and determined to do things his way. I guess I'm to blame for this behavior, I am a bit hard headed at times. But I never thought in a million years I would have this much trouble disciplining my child. He seemed near effortless up to this point. Anything he threw at me I was able to handle...but all of a sudden I'm thrown for a loop. He has been coloring on the walls, talking back, throwing tantrums, and acting out in pre-k. Basically being the star in his own one man show. He just has to be the center of attention. Definitely not the best behavior, but very typical for his age. Believe me, it is not as bad as it sounds. I was just getting into a solid groove with him...guess I have to change my game plan again.

It's been a while...

2009-09-30T22:36:00.001-05:00

I just noticed how long it's been since I last blogged, there has been a lot going on! William started school, and recently soccer. I have had a few inquiries and sessions with my new photography business, Chris is coaching soccer, I'm team mom, and to top it off, Chris has been working hard and attending school. (....sigh....)

Our most recent news is William has been visited by the "Tube Fairy" (will explain later, kind of long story) and has purchased his Halloween costume and doesn't want to take it off....yes, he wanted to be a Super-Hero so he is the "Black Spider man"....with built in muscles!! That cracks me up all by itself!

I couldn't be happier, our lives are busy but we are all together sharing this madness! I have a lot to be thankful for...God is Great!

I have every intention of posting pictures....it's on my list of things to do!!

In the mean time, check out my photography blog!
http://www.daddisonphotography.blogspot.com/

Late for School

2009-09-15T15:55:00.002-05:00

This morning I had a rocky start. William usually wakes me up around 8:00 or so, well this morning we both slept in. He woke me up at 9:15. School starts at 9:30...I jumped out of bed and told William we are in a really big hurry. I was brushing his teeth and my teeth at the same time. Usually he brushes his own teeth, but that is such a slow process and we were pressed for time. He was getting dresses and all I could hear is, "Mom I don't want to wear this shirt" at this point he could have went to school in his pajamas and I didn't care. Nutra grain bar and OJ for the road and we headed to school. I got there at 9:40. Thankfully there where still other moms dropping off their kids, but they had multiple children to juggle, I had no excuse at all. I just have that feeling that my child is going to be the one that always misses first period in school...gosh I really hope not. The lessen learned...set my alarm just in case!

Preschool...already?

2009-09-11T10:51:00.007-05:00

Seriously, how is it that my baby boy is in preschool already? He's not suppose to grow up this fast. Last week was meet the teacher. I was excited for William to get back in school and believe me, he was pumped too. In fact, he couldn't stop talking about his new "church school". It was a fun day, I met both of William's teachers and he got acquainted with his new classroom. I swear, my child has zero hesitation...he dove right in. Playing with all the toys, figuring out the little activities they had and helping himself to the mound of cookies they had for everyone. We stayed and played a bit longer then the rest. I really wanted William feeling comfortable with his new school. For the past 2 years he was going to a FABULOUS school in Austin with the best staff and most adorable kids, I really wanted him to settle in.

Meet the teacher

On the first day of school William, Chris and I were ready to go!! We got his lunch together (complete with Snoopy note) and got our boy dressed for his big day! There was a lot of anxiety the night before I told Chris nearly in tears that, "our child is only going to have his first day of preschool once". Duh...but I remember like yesterday bringing him home from the hospital and now he's in preschool. I don't know where the time has gone, but I couldn't be prouder of my little boy! On the first day he was such a champ, in fact I was ordered to put the camera away and "come on"! Apparently he was eager to go in. Walking in he didn't want to hold hands, he said he can do it all by himself. If that's not the most independent moment, I don't know what is. We dropped him off at his class with no problems! He went right in without any fussing. Picking him up was hilarious, I knew he'd have tons of comments and stories. His first comment was, "mom, I liked my old teachers and old friends". Not exactly what I expected to hear, but after digging through his back pack, we talked about what he did that day and he said he had so much fun! That's all that matters to me!

First Day of School!

Mr. Independent didn't want to hold Daddy's hand.

I'm so proud of my boy!!

Ready to go!!

This was a tradition growing up, my dad would always draw a picture of Snoopy for us to put in either our lunch box or backpack...I couldn't resist carrying on that tradition!

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-11T10:12:00.005-05:00

I just can't believe how fast the summer went by. I'm so happy that I was able to spend it with my friends. We all had a great Summer. William learned how to swim, I worked on my tan and started my photography business, and Chris started his new job then we all moved to Houston. It was a busy Summer to say the least. Definitely one of the more eventful Summers and loaded with awesome memories!! Last weekend we ended the Summer with a bang. We went to the Mannion's lake house to celebrate Labor Day. It was a bit of a rocky start, William was sick the first day and a half and was able to recover fast enough to enjoy the rest of our get-away! I just love the lake; boats, jet ski's, fun and friends, you can't beat that!! Thanks everyone for an awesome Summer, now lets bring on the cooler weather....does that exist in Houston?

William feeling much better.

A little football anyone?

I just thought this was so beautiful....the lake sparkled that day.

Yes, this is my dare devil child jumping off a slow moving jet ski.

This is what summer is about...ahhhh

Long time no blog...

2009-09-11T10:04:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since my last post and to be honest I really don't have a good excuse. I've been trying to limit my Internet usage and some how find myself on Facebook. It's such an addicting site. Not much has been going on in the Addison home. Chris started school again. He's attending U of H downtown. he was really aiming to take some Internet courses, but registered a bit late. It's not that bad of a drive, hopefully next semester he can get those classes online. I've started my own photography business. I'm extremely excited and nervous at the same time. I absolutely love taking pictures, I'd figure why not do something that I love. After years of working I finally am doing something that I wake up in the morning excited to do. Chris is so supportive, I love his encouragement. I feel so inspired, I just pray that it works out.

Birthday Weekend

2009-08-18T23:18:00.006-05:00

The day finally arrived, William turned 4 and had the best birthday party!! Our weekend started at the Mannion's for some pre-party prep. We decorated the pool area and got ready for the festivities! The theme was Transformers and we tried our hardest to dazzle William with as many decorations as possible. Saturday rolled around and it was a complete success! I was a little apprehensive about having a pool party with so many kids, but everyone had a blast and thankfully the party ended without any incidents or injuries. William is such a blessed child, thank you to all of our family and friends that traveled near and far to make his 4th birthday spectacular and a special thanks to the Mannion's for letting us use their home. I would definitely say William had a fantastic birthday, I can't believe my baby boy is 4. I'm looking forward to a wonderful year!!

4 Years Old

2009-08-12T22:22:00.007-05:00

I just can't believe William is going to be 4 already. His birthday is this Saturday and I keep asking Chris, where did the time go? He's grown up so fast; I can hardly keep up with him. In a day I am asked 100 questions and taught 1000 lessons and it will never get old. Never in a million years did I think I would be able to love someone this much. William is a blessing and true gift from God. Everyday he is responsible for bringing laughter into our lives and love in our hearts. William makes it so easy to be a mom, my job is near effortless, he's that perfect to me!

I have really jumped into my photography and had the most amazing time capturing these moments...goodness he's so handsome!!

42 Years

2009-08-12T21:53:00.006-05:00

So William has been missing his Papa and since he's back we planned a trip to visit my parents in Austin. During our visit we all celebrated their 42 Anniversary! Not too many people can say they have been married for 42 years. My parents have been through a lot and to celebrate number 42 is just awesome!!! I'm so proud of them and truly blessed to be their daughter!

Like a Fish

2009-08-05T00:37:00.000-05:00

William is swimming like a fish!!! It has happened after a Summer of constant practicing! I am so proud of him!! We still have a long way to go before he begins challenging Michael Phelps, but I'm very happy with the progress we've made so far. A few weeks ago he was swimming, then would stop to tread water and really not go far. But today, he was taking breaths and putting his head back in the water and paddled and kicked like a champ! What a relief to know that if he did jump in the pool he would know what to do and not panic. He is fearless, jumping off the edge of the pool and diving board. Yet another milestone...next we are working on tying our shoes!!!