Girl's Best Friend

Tiger is Addie's new best friend. I'm not sure he feels the same way about her though!

Merry Christmas To All!

This has been a great Christmas! Anthony had a crazy travel schedule trying to get to us, but it eventually happened and I think it was worth the trouble. Last night we had a great time with Serena, Dave, Grandma Clarkson, my aunt, and my cousins in addition to Nana and Pops. Then we enjoyed treating Addie to a little Christmas cheer this morning, although I think we enjoyed it all far more than she did. Today we tried to be as lazy as possible and Addie played hard with JD (he is her new favorite person!) She was so tired and wound up tonight when she went to bed. Ahhh, the holidays! :) I hope everyone had an equally wonderful day!

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Addie and I are already in Houston for Christmas and Anthony is joining us tomorrow (yeah!) It was 78 degrees yesterday!! I can't even believe I was relishing the warmth of 38 degrees on Tuesday (seriously, I was) and yesterday we were outside in short sleeves for most of the day. In the morning we walked with Nana to Target and back just to see if all the toys had been sold yet. Then yesterday afternoon Pops took us to the Houston Zoo. Addie had so much fun! It was really cute watching her say "wow" about all the animals. She was even impressed with the sleeping lions, tigers, leopards, and bears and enjoyed roaring at them. I guess it was their nap time.

The weather was beautiful, so Pops and I just enjoyed being out in it. Addie and Pops also walked hand in hand for a while at the end because she was tired of being in her stroller. It was so cute. She'd just pull him wherever she wanted to go. I got a video, but we'll see if I can get it up and edited away from my own computer... After the zoo we took a train ride around Hermann Memorial Park, which was also fun.

The first picture is Addie and Pops watching the zoo workers feed the pelicans. The second is Addie and I in front of a mommy and baby elephant at mealtime. That's a good time to see them because they get noisy about the food. As you can see from the picture, Addie really enjoyed herself. I, on the other hand, actually look as tired as I was feeling! Yikes.

P.S. We did not see the Hippopotamus yesterday. It was the only Christmas song I could think of that had a zoo animal in it! :)

Cabin Fever

We've been stuck in the house a lot lately with either ice, stomach flu, or colds. Sooooo, this isn't terribly exciting but for us first time parents, the part where she is eating so well with a spoon is exciting. She just barely showed some interest these last few weeks and it's been so cute to watch her.

All Done, Bye, Cookie??

Addie had to get a booster for her flu vaccine yesterday. We met Anthony up there for a few minutes before so she would be distracted by seeing him. They both like chocolate Teddy Grahams, so I brought some for them to share. I opted to just let Anthony run her in and out because I didn't feel well, so he came back with the details:

Apparently, along with flipping out as soon as she got into the room, she tried speaking her mind to everyone during the process. He said she kept waving her hands signing "all done." She also kept verbally saying "cookie" and "bye" over and over. So sad, but so funny. He said she was just frantically saying "bye!"..."cookie??"

Anthony and I have colds today...luckily Addie seems fine! One of these days I'll get a picture posted of the ice storm we got this week. The trees looked so cool!

"Biaper!"

During the passing of the sacrament at church today, Addie decided to work on a dirty diaper. Of course, it was totally quiet in the room which is unusual for our congregation of little children. Anyone who could not tell what she was doing from the expression on her face, soon probably had a clue because she started saying "biaper" over and over. Then, to clear up ANY questions for anyone...my grown-up husband waved his hand in front of his nose and made a yucky face. That's a good way to get yourself into changing the dirty diaper.

Anthony decided this weekend that Addie really needed to get out and experience the snow, so we went to Target and bought this little sled. Yesterday wasn't a good day anyway, so the sledding was not a hit. She was screaming as soon as they got into the garage. Then she calmed down enough to simply wave "all done" the entire time he was pulling her around the yard. It didn't help things when I stepped outside the front door to take a picture. Then it was "mommy" and the "all done" sign at the same time with spurts of wailing. So sad...Daddy was just trying to show her a good time. I'll get some happy sledding pictures up some time. :)

Just in case anyone doubted my coolness, I should confess that I am about to watch a John Denver Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. I just finished "Holiday in Handcuffs" on ABC Family with Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez (Sabrina the Teenage Witch & Saved By the Bell.) So, yeah, I'm coooooooool.

Attempt at a Christmas Photo

We were suppose to get a picture of Addie for our Christmas card last week, but thought since she was pukey we'd give it some time. So, last night before we went to our church Christmas party we tried to accomplish the task. With printing & assembly time, it had to be done.

I'm sure it's no surprise that it didn't go well. She was really clingy all afternoon anyway & cried at just about everything. She cried while I put her dress on, then while I fixed her hair. So sad. Then when we got downstairs Anthony had taken the lampshade off of all the lamps to try to compensate for our dark living room and the lack of sunshine coming through the windows. I guess that only further freaked her out. The few shots of her from behind that Anthony did get in the lighting looked great, from a lighting perspective. After that she just rolled around on the couch rubbing her hair around so it got nice and static.

After she calmed down I just chased her around with the camera trying to get anything decent. Instead of a cute picture with the tree in the background and one of our Christmas bears, I have to settle for one of her sitting in "the chair" with her ragged brown bear. She was smiling though, so that's all I wanted!! Now when you get our card this year you know the story behind the picture. This picture is just one of the "chasing" pictures I got so that I could go ahead and show off the cute Christmas dress. Last year she grew out of her Christmas outfit before Christmas and this year the dress hangs on her. I'll get it right sometime! :)

Dad to the Rescue

After a week of clinging to Mom for dear life, Addie was in great need of some time out with Dad. So this morning they headed out for some fun while I had a nice quiet morning of exercise, cleaning, and showering! Despite the lack of glamor in these events, it was really enjoyable.

Instead of having Mickey Mouse Playhouse on my TV, I went with the weekly VH1 countdown. I'm pleased to report that after months of primarily listening to songs about food, dogs, colors, and wiggling, some of the music (most that I had not heard) still sounded good to me so I haven't totally lost my "cool" bone. On the Mickey Mouse note...since we've seen so much TV this week, I've been wondering what exactly Goofy is? I mean, Pluto is the dog. So what is Goofy? Just a question for all my brilliant readers.

So here are a few pictures Anthony took with his phone and sent me while they were out. Looks like she's picked out a pink gun for herself? Hmmmm. I love the one of her reading at the museum. The girl loves books and she's getting so good at turning the pages it's hard not to just sit and watch her.

Woe To Me

What a day! I couldn't resist having Anthony take this hideous, yet Christmas color coordinated, picture of me today. Look closely and you will see the IV bag hanging from the ceiling which is connected to a long tube going to my hand. About 10:30 last night I started to feel the impact of Addie's little "bug" hitting me. By midnight I was throwing up the first of NINE times that would occur by 11 a.m. this morning. The last fabulous occasion was while Addie and I were sitting in the car at the hospital waiting for Anthony to get IV bags, needles, and drugs for me.

Poor Addie had been wondering where her mother was all morning, so there had been quite a bit of crying anyways, but for some reason she enjoyed the car ride (obviously more than me and my stomach did.) She actually laughed at me as I was puking the sad remains of my insides into the bag. I was happy to entertain... Anyway, today it was really nice to enjoy one of the few perks we have yet to see of Anthony having a medical degree! He pumped me full of 2 liters and some Zofran for my stomach. It was like magic. So nice...and it saved us like 5 hours in the ER. Thank you thank you thank you!!! Oh - he gets extra praise because once I could sit up with Addie and take care of her, he ran around the house like a mad man cleaning. My hero!!

Ice and Sickness

It has been a slow going couple of days. We are still in Iowa instead of warm and sunny Houston because Thursday morning Addie threw up first thing and continued through the day. So, I am postponing the trip until January when Anthony is on nights which will be very nice too.

Poor Addie has never had tummy trouble, so this has been a first for all of us. First vomit cleaning up, first Pedialyte experience, first, first, first. I think we were doing okay until Friday when Addie was crying for food and I wouldn't give her anything but Pedialyte and crackers. Dr. Dad then stepped in and said I should give her "anything she will eat." I couldn't help but think back to days of being sick as a kid and how we had to eat crackers and drink Sprite for what seemed like forever before we got real food...but I caved to Anthony amongst the cries. Sure enough, this afternoon after a morning of laying on me and whining, Addie threw up more curdled milk than I could EVER desire to see again. I can't get the smell out of my nose. Yick. Back to the crackers and Pedialyte!

On another note, it's a good weekend to have a child who only wants to sleep and watch movies because we are getting iced today. Brings back memories of last years ice storm when Holly & Brent camped out with us. Memories! Something like 6 inches is expected. We'll try to get a picture...the trees look pretty cool coated in ice.

Thanksgiving & 12 Days of Christmas

Hello again world! It has been a whirlwind of a month and I keep waiting for things to slowdown so I can blog, but that's not happening so I'd better just post. These pictures are all I have to show for myself this month! Our little camera is on the fritz and it was suppose to last until Christmas when I will hopefully (hint hint Berg) be getting a new little camera. If I have to run for the big SLR every time I have a picture moment it just doesn't happen!

Addie and I went to Texas once last month and we're going again this Friday. I think I'm just running from the cold here in Iowa. In between we went to Ames, IA for Thanksgiving with Damion, Sarah, and Zane Spilman. Both trips were really fun and as relaxing as traveling with miss Addie could possibly be. Addie was a little tired from her travels as you can see from the pictures! Oh, and the fabulous knee socks pulled up over her pants in the first pictures are compliments of Anthony.

So, I need some advice. In an effort to start our own family Christmas traditions, we want to do a 12 Days of Christmas gifting to a family we know here. They don't read my blog (I'm sure!) so I think it is safe to ask for advice on gift ideas for any of the days. If anyone has ever received a 12 Days of Christmas gifting or done it, please share your ideas! And if any of you reading this get a 12 Days of Christmas gifting done to you this year, please do not give us credit cause we don't deserve it!

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

To get this month off to the right start, here are ten random things I am thankful for today:

1. Anthony - I have had so little time with him lately, but it's so good to know he's there!
2. Addie - I've had so MUCH time alone with her lately, still I find myself looking at her videos and pictures sometimes at night. I guess I can't get enough!
3. My SelectComfort Contour Pillow - Once you've tried it, you're hooked.
4. Allergy Medicine - How would my life be in the fall & spring without it??
5. Sunshine - It was 59 and sunny today. In two months I will be PRAYING for this.
6. My Mandarin Lime Shower Gel - Hmmm...That's what I say every morning in the shower. For anyone who ever wonders what to buy me for a gift...I LOVE shower gel. And Q-tips...I'm weird.
7. Soup - What good would cold weather be without soup?
8. My Elliptical Machine - Instead of lonely nights on the couch with ice cream...it's lonely nights working out while my hubby works.
9. The Children's Museum - Nothing like public germy toys to light up your child's life & make them forget that they are tired or have sore gums.
10. Cell Phones - I got to talk to both of my parents today just because! :)

Just for fun, I'll TAG Holly, Emily, and Melissa to make a list. It can be deep or shallow...whatever suits you! :)

The Color of Fall

 
For anyone who has ever wondered what the color of fall is, this is what it is to me. This tree is right outside our living room so it looks so nice with all the brown and red in our living room. I love fall!

Wow!

Here is a short video I got of Addie last week & keep forgetting to post. She's saying "wow." She's been working hard on her "o" sounds for the past week or so. She also signs baby, dog, and sleep for anyone who can't understand what the muffled voice in the background is saying. :)

Hangin' Tough Halloween

Well here is my little Texas A&M Cheerleader. This is ironic on a few levels. For starters, Texas A&M doesn't actually have cheerleaders so it is interesting that the costume exists. Secondly, I have always made fun of my friends who were cheerleaders in high school so I guess I'm already eating my own words? :) I found it at Target in College Station a few months ago. It was a good deal and it would fit nicely under a warm coat for our fabulous Iowa weather so I took it.

Addie had a good time at two different Halloween parties this weekend. She really liked the second one which was geared towards younger children. We saw so many crazy costumes. People get so creative for Halloween. I think I just can't handle the competition so I just stick to black. One couple dressed up as the "American Gothic" painting...frame and all. We also had an entire family of M&M's (white tights included!) Billy Idol plus a wife a baby who both had matching punk hair. Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat were also there...just to name a few for you folks that might want to be cool next year.

All the Halloween "spirit" around and the parties reminding me of childhood things were the perfect prelude to hearing "Hangin Tough" by New Kids on the Block (NKOTB for those in the know) on our way home yesterday. I laughed so hard as I thought about how cool I thought that song was, how cute I thought Donny Wahlberg was, and how much I enjoyed sitting in the highest possible seats of Reunion Arena for their concert in the sixth grade with my friend Kinsey. I even remember the earplugs her mother was wearing to block out the screaming girls no doubt. All of my friends at school were so very jealous that I would get to see them "live." I was too young to even think anything of how bad the seats were. Ahh the perspective of an 11 year old.

This Little Piggy

 
I tried pigtails on Addie today and it turned out pretty cute. I have to admit, I have been surprised by how I find fixing Addie's hair more of a hassle than fun. Dressing her, now that's a different story. If the final product of the hair fixing is good, then it's worth the effort but if she puts up any fight I give up.

Okay, this picture doesn't even do justice how insanely funny the moment was. I have an empty powder compact that Addie likes to play with while I'm putting my makeup on. I gave it to her while I was feeding her dinner tonight and she opened it up and had the best time looking at herself. She'd close it, need me to open it for her, and then when I'd hand it back she was just as surprised as the first time I handed it to her. Funny girl - all GIRL!

Daddy Daughter Outing

 
 
 
 
Anthony took Addie out for the afternoon yesterday. After his rotation in Des Moines, not only was I a little tired of hanging out with a one year old, but Addie was definitely tired of me. They went to the dog park, which she always loves. Kinda sad since we don't actually have a dog...but she still enjoys it. Then they walked through a frisbee golf course that went through the woods. Anthony said Addie loved it. Obviously, she was with her dad because she's wearing a red bow with her pink and brown outfit and when she got home she was filthy! Not to mention the picture he took of letting her eat leaves or sticks or whatever that is. Now on to two weeks of Anthony working nights. Bla!

Help Me Understand

Okay, so sometimes I post things asking for feedback and nobody humors me (like what Jane Austen heroin are you?) I REALLY need some help here understanding the world around me. Are people actually watching this show? Is it funny? I lacked the gene necessary to find the Geico commercials funny so there's just no way I am understanding that this has become a primetime show on a major network. The Neilsens are not polling me, that's for sure.

Here are some shows I have loved that seemed to have some real writing and acting credentials involved: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, October Road, What About Brian, and Notes from the Underbelly (not GREAT, but no cavemen present.) Someone help me understand why Caveman is on my TV and not one of these?? The reality shows were hard enough for me to take, and Deal or No Deal makes my head spin, but I'm truly at a loss.

Who Needs Toys Anyway?

Well, it has been over two weeks since Addie got her little chair and it's still her favorite "toy." That is actually a record for any of her other toys. If we are in the living room, her activities revolve around it. Someday it will be funny to tell her that her favorite thing to do when she was one was sit in a chair. She gets in, gets out, stands up, sits down, takes toys in and out...whatever. Last night her friend Grace was over and they both took turns getting in and out of the chair. It was pretty funny to watch. Who would have thought?

Grandma Sun Ae Berg

 

Anthony's mother passed away last Thursday, October 4th and we went to her funeral on Saturday in Palestine, Texas. It seems strange to blog about the exciting, silly, funny, or unimportant events in our life without mentioning this very important but sad event. She absolutely blew me away with her love for my Addie. That is something I can never forget and can't wait to tell Addie about.

Family Photo Op

 

 

 

Last month we finally got around to getting some family photos taken for the first time since Addie was born! These are the ones we purchased. Anthony scanned them in so that I could exhibit them for all of my friends and family that will not see them hanging on the wall. So, just in case you really want a picture of us...these are technically not suppose to be copied so you would be breaking the law! :) I leave it up to my lawyer friends to write the legalese.

Anyway, it was quite a deal taking Addie in for pictures where I am actually suppose to be in the pictures. I usually just stand in the background keeping her from leaving the room, repositioning her, etc. So I was still doing that while Anthony chilled in his calm position not breaking a sweat. I really wanted the sepia version of the one of all three of us because I for some reason I think it hides the fact that I was a sweaty mess. Here are my few seconds prior to this shot: grab Addie as she tries to leave the room (for the 20th time), set her on top of Anthony, fix her dress, fix my own dress, get all flyaway hairs that are sticking to my sweating face off, lean over so that I am actually in the picture, and...oh yeah, smile. :)

The picture of her kissing me was not planned. She was being such a nut while we tried to take some pictures on the ground with all three of us. Right as we gave up and Anthony stood up, Addie leaned over to give me a kiss. This girl TOTALLY knows when she is pushing it.

Walker Texas Ranger

 

 

 

 

I have to say, I never thought I would come up with a reason to use this title. It's a stretch too, but why not mention one of the cheesiest representations of Texas law enforcement in the history of television as a title?

We didn't bother buying Addie a walker because we have enough stuff in our little house and I've read that it doesn't really help kids learn how to walk anyway. Dan and Amber loaned us theirs while we were in Texas though, and since we've been home Addie had tried to transform just about anything she can into a walker. Since nothing actually has wheels, she gets pretty frustrated when thing like her Little People barn don't roll over the rug...hence the ever popular scowl.

I should list needed items more often in my blogging. Anthony is in Des Moines Monday through Friday for four weeks and this was his first week away. I guess my previous post about Addie needing a chair inspired him because he arrived home with this cute little green chair. I wish I had been at a better angle for this picture, but it's still pretty cute. She LOVES the chair. I love the fact that if we'd been looking at this in a magazine or store together he would have thought it was ridiculous to buy, but since he was missing his little girl and obviously she needed a chair to sit in he purchased it for her. On the other hand, there was no gift for me upon his return. I guess I've been demoted?

Get This Girl a Chair!

I had something cute to blog about that Addie did today, but as we were walking through the natural foods store today something else took that spot in my brain. Just so that anyone who cares knows...there are completely organic feminine products out there. One brand is even called GladRags. Wow. I mean...who was on the naming committee there? I won't elaborate further. Just an interesting tidbit from my day that made me smile/laugh. :)

Anyway, about us this week...We flew to College Station, TX last Wednesday and returned on Saturday in a suicide mission to see Emily and Luke's new baby Jane Bentley Brenner. She is a beauty and it was worth the insanity. We stayed with Lauren and Nate, which was really fun. I was hoping Ryan would inspire Addie to walk more (technically she walks...just not much.) That was a failure. She was tired and poor Ryan just wanted to hug her, which only made her mad. Maybe my lack of hugging interest is genetic? He also taught her this fabulous screeching noise that she does in protest when she is unhappy. One more day and I think we will be rid of it. Boys are nothing but trouble!

I must say that on the way back I had some of the kindest people help me out with Addie. The American Airlines people were super helpful (which is very out of character for them) and a lot of people on the plane were really helpful. One lady even walked up and down the aisle with Addie to entertain her. Right as we landed in Iowa (seriously) Addie's eyelids got the best of her and she fell asleep! A few things that proved useful on my trip this time around were stickers and bubble gum. We stuck the stickers on paper, then on Addie's legs, my face, her face, the airplane...you name it. So, if anyone is flying AA anytime soon keep your eyes peeled for "My Little Pony" and "Hello Kitty" cause you know they don't actually clean the planes. With the gum, I just blow bubbles and she tries to pop them. Of course she misses, which for some reason is really fun when you are 13 months old.

I took this picture last week and didn't have time to post it before we left. Addie loves it when I raise the blinds in the front window so that she can look out, but lately she's also enjoyed using the window sill as a chair. She sits down on it, and it works for a while until her round diaper bum gets the best of her and she slips off. Then she just sits there slumped over for a while. Silly girl.

Apple Orchard

It was really pretty today so we headed out to the apple orchard for lunch. I guess there was a late freeze last spring, so there were really no apples. It was still very pretty and Addie enjoyed walking around in the grass. This morning Addie wouldn't stop whining, so instead of leaving her with Anthony while I ran I took her with me. Since my sister Emily gave birth to a 9 lb 2 oz baby girl yesterday, I thought I should push (no pun intended!) myself a little. I made it to 3 miles with the heavy stroller...what a feeling. Then I went to the orchard and had a great time eating an apple turnover. :)

One of These Days

 
 
 
 
One of these days this girl is going to WALK! She's trying so hard! I had to post the first picture because it's one of the few pictures Anthony ever catches of me where I'm not making a strange face or showing off three chins. I'm thinking maybe I should just do nothing but stare blankly ahead for the rest of my life if that is what looks best.

Addie is trying her best to walk, and she loves it. She makes the funniest faces when she's standing on her own, or walking. On Sunday she took almost 10 steps, very slowly of course. Steps with the left foot were bigger than steps with the right, so she walked in a circle. Our first reaction was to laugh, but then we started thinking about how sad it would be if she always turned right.

"The Look"

 
 
 
"The Look" has appeared and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Maybe this is just a sample of the teenage years? She hands this beauty out to pretty much everyone these days for unknown reasons. I wonder if she is actually trying to convey an emotion or if it just feels funny to furrow her brow? She sure does it at odd times.