Giving Thanks.



First time mini-golfing!

This year, Thanksgiving marks Addi's 7th month with us and we are so thankful! I can't believe how fast she is growing and all of her new and exciting milestones.

Addi now sits much better on her own although I can't tell if she is still a little wobbly or prefers laying down because sometimes she just slouches or falls over! Her balance is improving everyday and it is so cute to see her sit and play on her own. She also loves to scoot backwards but hasn't quite mastered moving forward. She likes to roll over and over until she gets where she wants to go or turn in a circle. Although she can get up on her knees and is doing it more and more! She is so proud of herself and so are her Mommy and Daddy.

Yum!



When she is on her belly she loves to pull things toward her including our dog, Roo! Her emerging and advanced skills are jabbering (precious girl is very vocal), she can stand while holding on to something (she absolutely love this and usually bounces while she does it) and she is beginning to understand object permanence (we play peek-a-boo and she looks for me). Amazing. She is also learning how to wave "hello" and "goodbye", she will wave every once in a while and loves to put her hand on mine and wave with me!

Addi has begun to decrease the amount of formula she eats since she has been eating so many veggies! Addi has had carrots and squash so far and this week in honor of Thanksgiving we began sweet potatoes. She loves them! It is so fun now that the has the hang of it and there is much less of a mess to clean up! Addi also has not one but two... her two front (bottom) teeth for Christmas! Addi had been teething forever so I let her chew on my finger. Then one day, she broke the skin and I started bleeding! Little vampire! We will have some funny stories to tell for sure.

Visiting Aunt Becky & the farm

We have so much to be thankful for, beyond just being thankful for Addi being here with us this holiday season! This year we will be giving thanks for her life and all of the blessings since. Today, I got an email from another Mom whose baby had Strep B this year and was treated at Children's Hospital too. I had put a picture of Addi on the hospital's website and a thank you for helping her become well and the other Mom had seen it. Her daughter was born with Strep B (different from Addi who got it after), and was born very very sick, acquired meningitis, pneumonia and was even sicker than Addi. Her daughter was rushed to the NICU as soon as she was born and that Mom didn't get to share her first moments with her.

Thankfully, her daughter is now healthy with seemingly no lasting side effects but she knew of other families whose babies had experienced what ours had and did not make it. Sometimes I look at the pictures of Addi in her first week of life and the GBS looms over them like a dark shadow but it is humbling to be reminded that someone always has had it worse than you. God has been good and is good to Addi and our family. We are blessed beyond what we could ever need or want. A very special holiday indeed.

LOVE!