How Far She Has Come!!!!

The year has just started and already our schedule is packed full. So knowing that we were going to be busy we took some time right after the New Year and all of our Christmas celebrations, and just relaxed at home. Addison thought this was a great idea because she got to enjoy her many new gifts from Santa. The first on her list was her new painting set and easel. She is a natural artist and jumped right into it. I think she got the creative gene!!!!

Seeing as it is a New Year, we had our "catch up" appointments with Addison's occupational and speech therapists. It has been awhile since she has worked with them, so we were eager to see their thoughts on any changes they had observed. We believe that she has really exploded over the last few months in the speech department. Her word use and sentence development amazes us every day!!!

Both appointments went well and she came out a star. We ended up getting great news from both therapists. As we thought her speech is coming along just fine and she has a well developed vocabulary, she was assessed as being in about the 68 percentile, which is amazing. She really knows a lot of her animal names and has great retention for new words. The occupational therapist was impressed with Addison`s eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. She holds a pen well and is truly defined as `ambidextrous`. At this age most toddlers are still figuring out which hand will be their dominant, but therapists can usually see in children which hand they will have more strength and ability with. Well little Miss is strong in both and truly can paint, write and colour with both hands. She shows more potential with her left to be her dominant and this may progress to be so in time, but for now she double dips and paints away. So we are told to continue on with what we are doing and to graduate to the use of scissors!!! Addison is soooo excited. 

We are also placing Addison into a local preschool type program called PELP, which she will be starting in a few weeks. She will be going one day a week in addition to her favourite sitters, to get her predisposed to the school type atmosphere. Can you believe we are already getting asked about her attendance at school for the fall????? Wow we cannot believe it. We are a little unsure at this point if Addison will be attending, we feel it may still be a little early with all that she has gone through. Our therapists our really working with us through the process and helping us make the best informed decision about this, so we will keep you updated. 

After a long day she curls up with dad and has some 

much deserved cuddle time on the couch. 

Amidst all of Addison's appointments and our busy home life, we managed to take a short weekend trip to Toronto to go and visit cousin Maria and Peter and their twin boys!!! Addy was very happy to engage the boys with her stories and tales about her horses, but her jealousy got the best of her when they really got intrigued and put "her horsies" in their mouth. It was cute to see, she doesn't have to fight for much at home between her mom and dad. It was a great visit and we cant wait to go back to see them all again soon. 

A New Year and a New Beginning

The beginning of another New Year-2012. Wow what will this year bring us??? Well for one we are back in the blogging world!!! I sat down at the beginning of this year and told myself to make some "New Year's Resolutions" or so I like to call it "year goals". Of the few I set out for myself I am already accomplishing 2 and this will be my 3rd. Yep one of them was to get Addison's blog updated and to follow through with documenting her life's story. As I looked back over the last 3 years and after many discussions with friends, family, therapists, etc, I realized that this little girl has such an amazing life story to tell!!! Where she started out, compared to where she has come to today, and who knows where she will be in the future, it has to be told. Even if it is just to the likes of our close family and friends so be it!!! I also thought with the changing times of technology and everyday life who knows where these blogs may be in the future??? Will they still be here for her to read and appreciate when she hits 40??? (Which is when I realized all that my parents did over my life was to make mine and my sister's lives better, hahahah) So on top of maintaining a blog for her, I will also be publishing the blog posts into beautiful coffee table books for our home. I know, i know those on top of scrapbooking our house will be a shrine to this little girl. But I think the blogs and the "blog books" are different. My scrapbooking is my personal art. My creations aroundspecific photos and what they mean to me. Addy's blog is a story, mixed with feelings, emotions, quips and life tales that I hope she will cherish for a lifetime especially way down the road when I am not here to tell her the funny things she said at 3 or 4 years old, or when she had her first tooth, accomplished a goal or made me sooooo proud!!!! 

I know it may be a bit weird having to go back and read over the last 2 years, but that is how I am going to write it so it stays chronological for our book and I guess I will have to explain to Addison this post but so be it at least we will be back on track.  

So sit back and enjoy and if you have the time take a view every now and again on the "past" posts that i will write reviewing what happened in Addy's life over the last 2 years. Thanks for reading!!!!!

P.S. Had to keep it short and sweet as I hear the little patter of feet upstairs as someone is sneaking out of her crib to avoid naptime. That's right today she officially crawled out of her crib and walked downstairs all on her own!!!