ADDISON'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

Have you ever had the Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Icing? Easy (yet messy) to make and SOOO good!

See, quite the mess, but that may be user error!

Addison's Pablo cupcakes. They were so yummy!

Addison loves her new rocking chair form Pa Pa and Margaret. Unfortunately, she really likes to stand up in it. I fear we are going to have a climber!

Opening gifts. She loves to open the clothes! Our little fashionista!

Who does not LOVE Tasha?

Opening presents quickly got old! Here is Jen opening the pearl that Me Me gave Addison to start her necklace.

Addison did take a break from playing to look at her new bling!

YAY! More toys! Jake (our friend Matt's son), Lukas, and Alex. They partied like rock stars!

Getting some sage advice from Shannon. " What do you mean that I cannot touch the flame?" YUMMY! I NEED MILK! The party was great fun! Our house has never been that full! Addison received many cool gifts. She is a very lucky girl. Savannah even stayed downstairs and joined in the festivities.

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY...

10 minutes old A few hours old and FINALLY meeting mom! Our first family picture Going home outfit Look how much she has grown this year!

One year ago today our lives changed. They changed in a manner that cannot be described. Here is the story of Addison's' birth. it is a LONG one! My due date was 12/27. The ENTIRE month of December I really showed no progress towards dilating. I had a dr appt on 12/28 with my least fave doc in the practice. He said "You have made no progress towards dilating. I am afraid that you are gonna be in the same point next week with an aged placenta. Let's talk induction". I was all over that since I was DONE being preggo. The doc did not think Addison was too large, maybe on the larger size of normal since Jeremy was over 10 pounds and I was 4 weeks early and weighed 8 lbs, 9 oz. I was scheduled for induction on 12/29.Arrive at the hospital at 7 am. get set up, start pitocin at 8am. A bit later the doc decides she wants to put a catheter in my cervix to help me dilate. I agree. Oh. My. God! Ouch! I thought I would die. The part that hangs out had to be taped to my leg for tension and then repositioned every hour. That was miserable. After 2 hours, I was pulling on the damn thing to try and help it along! It finally came out around lunchtime.I basically spent all afternoon with contractions that were not too bad. They were going slow on the pitocin bc I told them my sister responded to it so well they had to turn it off.At 8:00 pm I was only to a 4 cm after 12 hours of pitocin. The doctor decided to break my water. That was gross! I asked for the epi at this point since that is when I heard contractions got really bad. Loved the epi, but who didn't!Slept for a while and then the doc came to check me. I was at 5 cm. He told me I had an hour to make some progress or c/s. I had a real conversation with my cervix and was WILLING it to open. An hour later, 5.5 cm. I was given another hour and made it to a 6 cm. At this point he gave 30 minutes for more progress. No progress. C/S it was. I was upset. Whenever he would say c/s, I would shake. At 2:15 am on 12/30/06 Addison Caroline Tabery was born at 9 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long. She had a full head of hair and was beautiful!I asked the doctor if I could have had her if I had gone into labor on my own. He said nope. She had turned slightly towards my hip and God apparently did not build me for birthing 9 1/2 pound babes! It took me forever to be able to move my legs in recovery- like 2 hours! I finally got to go see my baby. She nursed like a champ!

BATH TIME!

Yep! That's Pablo from the Backyardigans that she is drowning! Yep. That's Uniqua that she is chewing on. They are real favorites around here! Notice the flock of ducks that have taken up residence here at the Tabery household!

JEN GOT A NEW CAMERA

I had asked for money for my birthday in October to put towards a new camera. Over Thanksgiving it was on sale and we bought it. I was going to wait until Christmas to use it, but of course I didn't. I wanted to figure it out before Addison's first Christmas! It is a Nikon D40x and has 2 lenses. One of the best things is that it came with an entire series of photography classes! I have not had time to really try it out, but here are a few attempts at taking it of the automatic setting and of course I used my favorite subject!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is the Learn N Groove Activity table that Grandpa Clyde gave her. It is Very noisy and lights up. I foresee her using to to scale the gate...

I was so excited to get her a doll. I looked all over for one like I had when I was a child, but Madame Alexander dolls are quite pricey these days! Here we are opening it...

She likes to hug it! The best part about this doll is that since she can out her thumb in her mouth, Addison can put her finger in the dolls mouth. Need I remind you that she likes to check out your teeth? When Jeremy asked what she was going to name her doll, she promptly, and clearly, replied "Oprah". We are working to get that changed!

She gets upset sometimes if someone else is holding the doll. I am not sure if it is because you have her doll or because you are not holding her!

Spiderman joined us at Me Me's house. Lukas & Addison riding my horse. I got it for Christmas in 1975!

We gave the boys Connex. Megan really seemed to enjoy them!

Lukas & Addison played a few Christmas carols for our enjoyment.

As you can tell by the look on my face, taking this picture with my grandmother, Ma Ma, & Addison was PAINFUL. Believe it or not, this was the best out of SEVERAL shots.

Addison loves sitting in this rocking chair at Me Me's. It was Me Me's when she was a little girl.

Savannah on Christmas day

Alex was so tired. Poor thing almost didn't want to open gifts.

YAY Christmas! I love presents, especially big ones! We tried to convince Lukas that this was a motorcycle for Addison...

...he was NOT buying it. He though that is was a dollhouse.

It was the Laugh and Learn Kitchen.

Santa came! Mom and Addison on Christmas morning. ELMO! He is almost as big as Addison! Checking out the stocking with Dad.

What a big gift!

We had a great Christmas. As you can see by the other posts we stayed busy.

• On December 19 we had dinner at Megan's and celebrated Christmas with Pa Pa, Margaret, Megan, and the Schramms.
• On December 23 Grammy, Granddaddy, and Aunt Nicole/Morgan came over for dinner and to open presents.
• On Christmas Eve we went to Church with Grammy to see Christmas program. We decided not to brave going out to dinner , as we usually do (last year we must have been a sight at the bar at Outback trying to get Jen's preggo belly close enough to the bar so that she could eat!) since Addison was sleepy and it was late. Did you know that Wendy's is open until 8pm on Christmas Eve? We do!
• On Christmas Day we got up and opened presents and ate breakfast. After a leisurly morning at home we packed it up and headed over to Me Me's to open gifts with her, Chip, Megan, brandon, Lukas, and Alex. Later, Grammy, Granddady, Aunt Morgan/Nicole, Great Uncle Allen, Great Aunt dawn, cousin Abby (who is all grown up now!), and Ma Ma joined us for dinner. Me Me sure did cook alot!

We hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Much love, Jen, Jeremy, and Addison

WAITING FOR SANTA

Dear Santa, I have been a VERY good girl this year...

The stockings were hung by the mantle with care...

Santa came!

Addison's first Christmas tree