Six Months!

Over the weekend we went to get Addy's six month pictures taken. We can't believe that she is already 1/2 a year old! Time has flown by!

Crazy Days!

As you may have noticed I have taken a bit of an extended break from blogging. I started school last week and things have been CRAZY busy! As if beginning school wasn't enough, my graduate class also started last week. Talk about major stress! Addy has adjusted very well to her new routine and her babysitters. She has taken the transition much better than her mommy! It has certainly been a very difficult first few days of school. We have been working hard trying to settle into a daily routine. Addy has started to take longer naps and loves to play with the kids at the sitters. She comes home each evening very worn out from all the attention.

Recently Addy has started to chatter much more. She has started to use her consonants much more. She is also sitting very well unassisted and loves to sit in her high chair to play while we are working in the kitchen.

Last week we took Addy to a local hot-air balloon festival. At night they line up the balloons and light them up. It is really a neat sight to see. However, Addy thought the balloons were overrated and cried when she was near a balloon and saw it light up. The heat and size of the balloon were a bit overwhelming for her. She did warm up to them a bit later, but still preferred to view them from a distance. Next year maybe she'll be as excited about them as we are! This weekend Addy's Grandma and Grandpa Schum are coming to visit for Labor Day. We are looking forward to spending time with them. I will try to be better at posting every Sunday:)

We recently went to a baby cookout with some of our school friends. Here are the guys and their adorable babies!Addy looking not so thrilled to be standing in front of a giant balloonPeas are not exactly Addy's favorite!

Last Days of Summer

As summer draws to a close, I am really trying to spend as much time with Addy as I can. School begins on August 18th and as day each passes I become more and more apprehensive about going back to work. Derek and I are thrilled with the childcare arrangements we have in place for Adalyn. She will be going to two wonderful homes during the day. She will be going to a sitter here in our town Monday through Wednesday. On Thursdays and Fridays Addy will make the 45 minute drive with me to the town in which I teach and will stay with a sitter there. When Addy goes with me to she will be going to the same sitter as my friend Kristi's daughter, Charli. They are just a few months apart, so they should have a lot of fun. Patty should have her hands full, but I think she is certainly up for the challenge!

This week Addy went to Patty's for the first time so that I could spend some time getting my classroom in order. It was very hard to leave her, but Addy did very well. She really loved all of the attention she received from Patty and her kids! I had my first taste of a morning routine...wow what a challenge! Getting out the door with a little one sure does take a lot of strategy!

At the end of the week Addy and I accompanied Derek on a short business trip to Galena. Addy and I had a lot of quality time together and did a lot of relaxing. We stayed at a resort that had a lot of outdoor activities. Addy especially enjoyed sitting by the lake and watching the water and trees. We also spend a lot of time in the resort's pool and headed into town to experience Galena shopping on Main Street. We had a great time just taking it easy and spending time together.

Addy on the grounds of the resort. The flowers were beautiful!
A little nap after a morning swim session

Over the weekend our friend Kristy came to visit from Florida and stayed with us for an evening. Since she was in town, we had friends visit on Saturday and Sunday. We grilled out on Saturday and the weather was beautiful. Addy had a great time playing with and watching all of the kids that came to visit. She was definitely worn out at the end of each evening!

Addy and Kristy

This coming week is officially our last week of summer. I can't believe how quickly it has flown by! My first week of school will certainly be a challenge!

Addy loves carrots!

FIVE MONTHS!

Adalyn turned five months this weekend! We can't believe how quickly time has passed. Derek and I recently looked at pictures of Addy when she was born and could not believe how much she has changed in such a short period of time. Addy has began to sit up on her own. She prefers sitting up to any other position and has really began to take interest in the world around her. It is so much fun to watch her examine her surroundings. We often wonder what she is thinking! She has also started to babble much more and loves to tell us "stories." Addy has really taken a liking to cereal and loves to get it all over herself. We have recently discovered that she also loves drinking water from our glass and will stop whatever she is doing when a glass is within reach!

This past week Adalyn and I took made an extended visit to Indiana to visit our families. We rode home with Derek's mom who had been visiting us. Derek joined us in Indiana on Thursday evening. While at home Addy got to spend lots of time with her family. She spent all of Friday with Grandma and Grandpa Schum while we went to Holiday World. She also got to experience grass for the first time and enjoyed taking walks in Grandma and Grandpa's yard. We visited Addy's Great-Grandma Heilers several times and Addy had a great time playing with her. Overall, we had a great trip and Addy really enjoyed all of the attention that she received from everyone!

Addy had a great time exploring the outdoors with her Grandma and Grandpa!

Addy is gearing up for the football season! GO COLTS!