Proof

Here ya have it. Miss Addie is a two-legged, upright homo sapien. Her quadraped past behind her, she has risen to new evolutionary heights leaving her 4-legged Didi cat friend to, well, whatever Didi does which is just sleep and yell. Good-bye dirty kneed pants, hello dresses!



Miss A got to show off her skills at the doctor's office today for her one year check-up. Dr. W. didn't seem blown away by her obvious super baby walking powers. Well, we can't blame him since her super cuteness powers always stun and overwhelm her prey making them unable to process other information. Kablow-a-kazam! Watch out or you too will be pelted with plastic sesame street stacking cups and turned into a brainless, drooling follower of the 21 lbs, 29 3/4 inch tall Super Addie-cake, Ruler of Deedslandia*.


*Deedslandia is the fulltime residence of Didi.

Party Weekend

My little flower is one year and 4 days old. Shouldn't I have been planning an eloquent, yet humorous, year in review post in honor of this day? And now that it's here, I'm not sure what I want to say. Everytime I look at the picture of Addie and I from her birthday I want to cry. Sometimes I do. Like now. I'm so proud of her and so happy to have her in my life. I can't even believe this little angel came down and decided to live with me. How did I deserve her? Tears of joy, sure. But some guilt. some sadness. Did I live in the present? I'm always excited for What's Next. The rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, words. But in that waiting, did I miss the here and now?

Darn it. I didn't plan on this making me cry. I wanted to show lots of cute pictures of Addie daintily eating cake and all of her friends and family showering her with gifts and kisses. She might be the only baby not so shove cake and frosting down her pie hole. I think what I've learned is that Addie is much better at feeding herself than I am, since she frequently finishes dinner with me with lentils in her hair and summer vegetables up her nose.
We've had the most amazing weekend birthday celebration. My Mom flew in to celebrate with us, and Addie went from "who the heck is this lady trying to kiss me" to walking over to Gran arms open. So, I'm calling it. Addie is walking at one year. It's going down in ink in the baby book. She hasn't given up crawling yet, but over the last few days she's edging more towards 2 legs good, 4 legs bad. In addition to her Birth Day, and her Yellow Birthday Party on Saturday, we also spent a day wine tasting in Santa Barbara and visiting the aquarium to look at yellow fish. I'm completely exhausted but have had the best 5 days hanging out with Addie who is turning into an amazing little girl. Take a peek at a few of the shots from Addie's Party Weekend. Thanks to everyone who was here with us in person, and in spirit. We definitely need a two bedroom apartment for all of the stuff. Heck, bring on the 3 bedroom with a den. California dreamin'.

Happy #1 Addie

To my little flower, I love you.

Hugs,
Mom

(over) exposed

. . . and she still has that rash on her chest. and lip. and arm. all from playing with a lemon in the sun. but she's still darn cute rash and all.

but rashes aside, Addie is so so so close to walking. She can do it. It's basically just a confidence thing. She's taken at least 6-10 steps in a row and can be found standing up on her own. She's been able to stand unassisted for a couple of weeks but the minute she'd realize it, down she'd go. Now she does it all on her own. Will she walk by her first birthday. Four days to go . . .

I'm also trying to not be competitive about this. It doesn't matter when she walks. of course not. But my expectations. She was such an early roller and crawler that I must say I had my sights set on walking by 10 months. Now I feel she's just gotta walk at a year, or. or. or. or nothing. So what, right? Hunched over and holding her hand, we're being guided around by Addie like we're bridled horses. Maybe I just want her to walk so Cap and I can stand upright again.

Grandmaster Flash

I have been very neglectful of my new wonderful camera. My photography class which requires the use of a "real" film camera has been usurping my picture taking time as we close in on my final projects and the assignment that I have to reshoot because i messed it all up. Wasn't this class supposed to be fun? Now I'm just a giant ball of stress. The new digital camera hasn't been collecting dust though because Cap recently discovered not only the macro lens but the mountable flash - something I've been too intimidated to use. The pokey little pop-up flash is crap to put it crassly and to have figured out this other flash device has opened up a whole new world of indoor photos. Cap took this gorgeous shot of Miss Addie at Cousin Max and Laura's house on Saturday. Cap, can you do my final photography assignment for me? I just want to nap.

Since this post thus far hasn't really been about Addie, I can share what she's up to this very minute. Breaking news. I'm gobbling down my morning cereal and Miss Addie is systematically emptying the tupperware drawer of its contents and replacing it with a pair of waded up, dirty socks of mine that she found by the bed and carried into the kitchen for, I can only imagine, this very purpose.

Hazlitt Lagoon

It was a warm and balmy night (afternoon) with only the call of the Mynah bird (rocket chewing on slobber ball) to interrupt our tropical haven (inflatable baby water feature). The Hazlitt Lagoon's reigning Queen (Baby Clara) demanded the presense of the Duchess of Fairfax (Baby Addie) to visit her, who kindly obliged and was given the highest place of honor to sit during the visitation, the Rainbow Throne. It is customary to forego bathing attire for the simplier garments preferred by Queen Clara. The Duchess, while trying to be diplomatic, was not accustomed to the cold (hose) water of Hazlitt Lagoon preferring the warmer waters of La Canada del (Aunt) Karen. Nonetheless, a pleasant time was enjoyed by all before heading to the gala event at Bay Shore (lanes bowling alley) for his royal highness King Pone's birthday celebrations.

Morning Stroll

Addie believes that rising early (6 am) is the best way to greet a new day - on a Saturday. Doesn't she know yet that weekends are for sleeping-in not getting up earlier than a weekday? Maybe she's just excited to spend ALL day with her mum and dad. Since I was now fully awake, I had this romantic idea that we'd stroll down to 3rd Street in West Hollywood, have a latte and a croissant at the new Parisian-style cafe, and read my favorite magazine, Domino, which just landed the day before in my mailbox.

Well, I've learned that fancy LA doesn't wake up at 6:45 am. The cafes were either sleeping soundly themselves or were having their sidewalks hosed down. This is a practice that also drove me crazy in NY, dodging rivers of runoff on your way to the subway. What an amazing waste of water just so someone doesn't have to sweep. But the point is that we walked and walked and finally ended up at the Coffee Bean on La Cienega and 3rd. Not so glamorous. Addie also thought it would be more fun to spend the next 30 minutes complaning until I gave her a toy, then tossing it on the ground. again and again. It's very hard to read a magazine and sip coffee when you are playing fetch - not to mention I felt that the rest of the patrons were either annoyed by Addie's protests when I would refuse to return the toy, or horrified that I'd consider giving it back to her after it had been on the floor. I made some gestures of good hygiene by giving the rubber ducky a cursory wipe with her burp cloth. See, I'm not a heathen, right?

Along the way, we did stop to smell the flowers. These don't really have a smell though but Addie does have a penchant for the color yellow.

And we can't forget. Today is Cap's birthday which we shall be celebrating at the bowling alley. Happy Birthday Po-Pa!