STAY-cation 2012

Due to my schedule/ profession I often times work 4-5 day stretches, even though I am only part time. However, this allows me to have stretches off too! So…when we noticed that I had 5 days off in a row in the beginning of June, we decided we would take a vacation (especially since it was over Sam's birthday and our anniversary) Upon researching places to go…Chicago…Duluth…Two Harbors…etc, we realized that it would either be too stressful with a baby (Chicago) or wasn't REALLY somewhere we were dying to go. So…we had the idea to have a "stay-cation" We would stay in the comfort of our own home, not have to pay money for hotels, gas, etc, and do fun activities everyday that we are normally not able to do! It was absolutely wonderful, and I think we may try to do this every year, or at least every other! Let me just say, we needed this, as a couple, as parents, and as a family. Today, its back to reality for both of us as we go back to work, and to the normal routines.

Here are some highlights of our stay-cation 2012:

Day One:

We celebrated our little Addie's 1/2 birthday and then headed out to Stillwater to grill/ hang out with two couples and their little ones. It was great to be outside and with such good company!

After Addie got her nap in, we headed to the Freighthouse for some drinks/ apps! It was such a beautiful evening, and just reminded me of how much I love Stillwater in the summer :)

I even tried quac for the first time. I know, I know, I'm a vegetarian so clearly I should have had avocado or quac before…but the creamy texture of it has always freaked me out, so I never have. I decided it was time, and It tasted really fresh and a lot more mild than I had imagined. I think I am going to slowly incorporate it into my diet, and stop asking to "hold the quac" on many thing I order!

Day two:

The next day was Sam's 25th birthday! We started it off right with Starbucks & Brueggers, then headed to the MN zoo! 

We met my mom there, and had such a wonderful day walking around and looking at all the animals! Addie seemed to enjoy herself, and experienced all that she could for being 6 months old!

One of my favorite animals there, the prairie dogs!

Pit stop for a bottle :)

Her favorite part of bath time is when she can put her legs/ arms in the running water…so we decided to try this out too to see if she would like it! Success :)

We got BWW for dinner and ate it on the deck! Sam ate 18 wings. 18 WINGS! It's crazy he could fit that much food into his small little self! AND…I was super excited that I discovered they serve veggie burgers! Now I finally have something I can order when we go there!

A very full birthday boy!

The day concluded with some more fun on the deck and some movies :)

Day 3:

We stayed home and relaxed in morning/ afternoon! I got some sun, and Addie worked a lot on sitting up!

Then we headed out to Dick's to look at tents! (our anniversary gift to each other) 

That night, we ordered pizza, played games, and just enjoyed each other's company :)

Day 4:

On Tuesday, we were going to head to Lake Calhoun for some walking, but decided with the heat, and length of drive out there, it would be better just to go down by the river for a walk right here in Hudson! It was beautiful out, and definitely the right choice :) After, we enjoyed ice cream from McDonalds (Sam finally grasped the beauty of the 150 cal 3g fat ice cream cone!) and homemade lasagna! That night, we shopped around online for more tents, and a jogging stroller for Addie! I also took advantage of Sam being home, and ran some errands KID FREE!

Day 5:

Our 3 year anniversary! These are the cards we made for each other! Sam also surprised me with an americano and egg/ cheese sandwich from Starbucks, and we enjoyed the morning together! 

In the afternoon, we headed to the Doctor for Addie's 6 month appt. We are so blessed to have such a happy healthy girl!! She continues to be small: 13 lbs 0 oz, (4th percentile), and 24 3/4 inches (15th percentile) …But the Dr. assured us she is healthy and steadily growing at her own rate! Now, onward to getting her to like/ eat some solids!

We enjoyed an evening on the deck (again!) some Stir Fry, and more games to conclude our anniversary/ stay-cation!

Before the weekend began, I had Sam make a list of what he wanted to do, and we actually accomplished most of it among other things! Overall, It was wonderful wonderful wonderful…and as I mentioned before, MUCH NEEDED! 

now back to reality...

Up, down & around!

This past weekend, Sam was away on a men's retreat with our church, so my mom, Addie, and I decided to take a mini vaca to Duluth! 

Even though we only had a day and a half to spend there (because my work thinks its AWESOME to schedule me friday evenings on my weekends off…) we decided to do it anyways! The forcast for the weekend was rain rain and more rain :( However, we left early sat morning and were able to catch good weather until after dinner saturday! …AND we only got caught in heavy rain once!  I can imagine it was quite the sight seeing us run with a stroller to find some sort of shelter from the walk around the lake! 

Addie loving some quality time with her grandma by the lake in Duluth!! (Thank goodness for hats because she has does not quite share the passion for sun that her mom has yet!)

Taking it all in….:)

Gotta love those smile and how interactive she is now!! Its amazing how much of a "mini girl" she is becoming!!!

Trying to get some food into my little girl who is not the fondest of eating ;)

I LOVE THE MOBY WRAP!! This thing has been such an amazing thing from the time she was about a month old (8lbs) and continues to be! It is a lifesaver! I love how you can wear the baby so many ways and alter it based on their age and activity level…and its super light weight! 

Watching the seagulls with grandma! She actually really liked them ;)

Everything was going wonderful, until….a big boat came to go under the bridge!! The loud horn noise scared her so much!

…so then it was nap time, something little miss Addison has not yet mastered, but needs SO much :)

 Lounging on the hotel bed! She was SOO good the whole time we were there! And even slept in her pack-n-play for most of the night!

Theo and Addie reunite after a few days apart! They were SO excited to see eachother! 

To save more trips then necessary to lakeville so that my dad could watch Theo while we were gone, he went there from thurs-mon…I didnt realize how much I STILL loved him and depended on him at home! It was so sad to have him gone, and was super excited when he came back! 

Working real hard on sitting up! Not quite there yet…soon enough!

Loving to *bounce bounce bounce*!!

What a fun weekend it was!! Looking forward to many more fun summer adventures!

**Random thought** 

I have been thinking a lot lately about how we dream and work so hard to get where we want to be in life…When we are babies (and as we grow up), our parents have so many dreams and hopes for us. When we are kids, we dream so big (ex: when I get married..., when I grow up I want to _____, when I am old_____ ) Then, we work our butts off through, junior high, high school, and college, still dreaming with high hopes for "the future." We then, get into our career, possibly get married, and soon after start a family. So, whats crazy for me to think, is I AM HERE! I am all grown up, I have my family, and my career. All that hoping and wishing for the future, is now my present. So, what do I do with this? Keep on dreaming, and keep on striving to not be content with a mediocre life. To think of all that has changed/ shaped me over the years is incredible. So, onward to continuing pouring my passion into the things that matter most in life, and to continue having BIG dreams for my own child and children to come!! 

Oh may!

I LOVE May... It is such a wonderful month! The air is warm and anticipation/ planning is in full swing for the summer months ahead!

So far, we have had a great month, with a few adventures yet to come in the next couple weeks!

It started off being able to celebrate little Adrians first birthday! What an adorable Dr. Seuss party! Fitting, for such a wonderful little boy!

The dad's and their little ones :)

Addie, attempting to nap at the party!

We journeyed down to Algona, IA (where Sam grew up) to go to his little sister Haley's Graduation party! Although little Addie was still sick :( she was a trooper and we had a lot of fun seeing family/ friends and celebrating Haley's graduation! It was fun to have the newest little cousins together as well as have most of Sam's extended family meet Addie for the first time!

And then, the next day, I got to celebrate my first technical mothers day! My wish for the day was to cherish every moment I had with Addie. We slept in, and skipped church because Addie was still feeling under the weather. This meant extra cuddling and lovin for us! I also got cancelled from work due to low census, so that meant even more time enjoying the beautiful weather with my family! All in all, I felt very loved, appreciated, and soaked up every moment of the day!

We have enjoyed starting to move up to 3-6 month clothes! There are so many cute summer outfits that Addie and I are stoked to have her wear! Although, I think she may be slightly more excited about the fact that she can almost sit up on her own, and her BFF sophie. 

Addie has had a fun time accompanying me to the youth ministry Sam leads at our church for the last few months. However, a couple weeks she has gotten to join our group of 8th grade girls during small group time! She has loved the girl talk, and tried hard not to be too much of a distraction!

Bring on the rest of May and a fun trip with the girls to Duluth planned for this next weekend!!

Torn...

I am frequently torn…

between the creative, go with the flow and spontaneous side of me, and the organized, safe and simple one.
between wanting to be UBER productive, and desiring to seize the moment.
between being upfront about things, and being passive aggressive.
between seeing everyone's point of view, and standing strong on what I think.
between wanting to please everyone around me and doing what I want.

Sound like 2 different people? Nope, it's just one. Its me. And no, I am not bi polar! I am simply realizing that I have many different sides to myself that are brought out in different stages, situations and relationships. The tricky part, finding a balance to make up the general sum of who I am! Yep, I am still working on that one. Please help me if I ever stop :)

Life lately, Dittrich style!

Sooo…

Life has been pretty good lately, I can't really complain! There have been so many fun and treasured moments that I hope to never forget! Its crazy how life's 'fun moments' can change so much over the years. Sam and I met our freshman year of college, and what we considered fun then (not that we did anything that crazy) is so different than what we would love to do on a weekend now! I guess we really are growing old(er). 

Little miss Addie is already 5 months old! I cant believe it! Its bitter sweet because the newborn/ little baby stage is so precious but it is SO much fun getting to know her and watch her reach milestones! She is getting to be such a big girl!!

Updates for Addie:

-She is napping good in her crib 50-60% of the time (most of those times are when mom's home, sorry sam!)

-Taking 3 1 1/2- 2 hr naps a day

-Still sleeping like a champ all through the night! 

-Officially does not hate the car seat anymore, and actually WILL fall asleep or play quietly as we crank up the music and drive! YAY!!

-She is talking so much and laughing a lot too! It is the sweetest thing I have ever heard! (her thoughtful sounds makes my heart melt every time)

-She is still in 0-3 month clothes, but hoping to upgrade to 3-6 soon, I'm ready for some new clothing options!

-Officially (as of tomorrow) 100% switched to formula…bitter sweet

-Rolling over from tummy to back and working on repeating from back to tummy which she only did once a few weeks ago!

-Loving playing with Theo, where you find Addie, you will find him! They are such good pals already!

-She got Baptized on 4/22/12, and it was so very special :)

Baptism :)

I don't really have a whole lot else to reflect on/ say at the moment. As I said earlier, I feel like most things in life are just really good. It's really nice to finally feel that way :)

I've been waiting/ dreaming my whole life to be a mom, and it is so much more amazing than I could have ever imagined (not easier, just overall incredible!)

Loving life :)

Swimming for the first time! Loving her new froggy pool!

Loungin' in the "sun"

First softball game! Enjoying time with Grandma!

Showing off her big girl skills and holding her own bottle!

Springtime bliss

Life seems to be moving along full speed ahead! I just want it to slow down a little bit so we can enjoy each and every moment of the day! Its a complete 180 from when I was pregnant, and I was just fine skipping ahead several months.

Recently, I have been getting scheduled 6 days one week and 0 days the next. Because I am a .6 now (6 scheduled shifts every 2 weeks) and my schedule is variable (they can schedule me when ever they wish, except my given every other weekend) I guess this is the trend I am going to have to work with! It is UNBELIEVABLY wonderful on the weeks I don't work… However, those jam packed weeks really get the best of me! Both me and (especially) Addie seem to go into shock being apart that first day or two back. It also seems nearly impossibly to get my "daily" and "weekly" stuff done. It seems like I do the bare minimum and BAM its 2:00 and time to start heading to work! Good thing I like my job :)

Life with miss Addison Joy lately have truly been a joy (corny but true). Her smiles, giggles, babbling, bubble blowing and thoughtful stares are so precious!

Addie conquered another Dr. appointment, and took about a week to get over the shots again :( She is weighing in small at 10 bs 13 oz (4th %) and 23.5 inches (23rd %) I was/ am always a bit worried that she is so gaining weight so slowly, but the Dr. assures us she is just petite and that she looks healthy!

She has now officially moved to her bedroom! Its sad not to have her in our room anymore, but it was time! It got really hard tiptoeing around in the bathroom/ bedroom when trying to get ready etc. So all in all, she will get better sleep (once she adjusts to her new crib) and we will be able to get ready without worrying about making a peep and waking her up! She is a sleeping champ at night, but we are still working hard at getting her to sleep well during her naps NOT IN OUR ARMS! We will get there, I have faith!

Easter was amazing! It always has been my favorite holiday! I of course love the meaning behind the celebration as well as the fact that it is NOT focused on gifts. I also love that it is usually sunny/ warm giving glimpses of spring and summer :) There is so much Joy wrapped up in the day!

I started training for the Twin Cities Marathon a couple weeks ago. I have only run small races, never longer than 6.5 miles…needless to say, I am quite nervous. However, I know that I am capable, I do enjoy running, and am really stoked to stretch myself mentally and physically for this race! So here we go! I will be running with a team from my church Team World Vision, raising money for various needs in Africa! In less than 7 months, I will have not only completed a life long goal to run a marathon, but will have the opportunity to make a difference in lives of others in need! Win Win! If you feel like donating, or finding out more about it, visit: http://support.worldvision.org/site/TR?team_id=37850&pg=team&fr_id=1640&et=kJxuBlJ_Req-V4yi64zSbg&s_tafId=19031

I CANNOT wait until summer :) I love the warmth of the sun, the warm breeze, the festivities it brings, and that I get to enjoy many firsts with Addie and our family!