Adelline is NEGOTIATOR at 1 Year, 10 Months

It’s humorous that my child is fascinated with many things that I find rather disgusting like spiders, bugs, and snakes, as well as things I have no interest in like construction equipment and semis.  However, I am very happy that I’ve managed to avoid “projecting” any personal sentiments about these things to Addy.  I’ve done my best to be excited when we find spiders and cicada shells (ultra gross, by the way).  I do draw the line at mice and rats and will simply decline to comment on them.  EWWW!  Someday, Addy, you’ll read this and thank your mother for her tolerance for the sake of your curiosity and development.  Until then, I will paste on my best smile, and say, “Let’s go find an ITSY BITSY!”       

One day while Mommy was changing Addy’s diaper, she exclaimed, “Holy moly,” as she saw the natural disaster she was going to have to scrape out of the cloth diaper.  Addy immediately repeated the phrase and later entertained Grandma Vicky, Grandpa Mark, and Aunt Lyddia at the dinner table with a long string of extra dramatic “holy molys!” 

Addy loves the Henry Vilas Zoo, especially the monkeys, which are technically orangutans.  She has been able to feed the goats, who definitely have no manners as they jump up on the cement guardrail with their front legs and try to eat as many food pellets as possible.

Addy and Mommy went to Fired Up Pottery to pick up donated gift certificates for the Elvehjem Neighborhood Fourth of July raffle.  As Mommy tried to steer Addy toward the cheaper pottery items, Addy was intrigued by a miniature car priced at $12.  Knowing the quality of one-year-old artwork, Mommy was able to convince Addy to choose a $5 dinosaur.  After fifteen minutes of painting while propped up with a telephone book and using as many brushes as possible, Addy’s masterpiece was complete.  Stegosaurus turned out so cute in black, blue, and yellow.  It definitely had a “modern art” feel to it, and Addy is so proud of her creation. 

While Mommy and Daddy went to buy a minivan for our family, Addy spent the afternoon with neighbors Jamie, Kyle, and Andrew Meise.  She was thrilled to go swimming and play with “SOPHIE” and “TOEY” (Chloe), the “TATS” (cats).

Addy has been a little sassy lately as she says “NO NO NO” very adamantly when she does not want Mommy or Daddy making a certain noise or saying something to Stella.  We usually look at her with raised eyebrows and sometimes say, “Excuse me?”  After a couple seconds of silence, Addy responds with, “YEAH???” as if to ask, “Is that what you want me say?”

Addy loves playing with water, especially when she is able to pour it from one container to another.  She continually asks for cups filled with WA.  If Mommy and Daddy say, “Not now,” she then follows her request for WA with, “Wash hands…dirty?” in an attempt to get close to the sink where she can be sneaky and fill her cup at the same time.

Addy helped Mommy make brownies for the ENA Firecracker 5K Pre-Race Pasta Party.  She was devastated that she was not able to eat the CATE (cake) right away, but Mommy said, “We’ll have cake when friends come over,” thinking Addy would forget about it by then.  Addy asked for CATE at every meal and snack leading up to the party; when the first “friends” finally arrived, Addy yelled, “EAT CATE,” but by the time she was finished her spaghetti, salad, and watermelon, she had forgotten about cake.  Just as the last guests were about to leave, she spotted the brownies and enjoyed a delicious bedtime snack.

At our neighborhood Fourth of July Celebration, Addy was very protective of Stella.  When a neighbor started talking to Stella, Addy said loudly, “LEAVE STELLA ALONE.” 

Addy has learned that when her teeth hurt, we give her a little Tylenol.  She now enjoys self-medicating as she declares, “TEETH HURT…MEDICINE?”

Addy likes putting her stuffed animals in TUMMY TIME on the activity mat, just like her sister Stella.

Daddy suggested an adventure to a small, roadside farm on County Road Ab.  Addy loved watching the goats, miniature horses, and donkey.  We felt badly for the animals, who were having a hard time finding any grass in the desert-like field due to the drought this summer.  Addy began pulling flowering weeds to feed to the horses and goats.  Mommy said to Daddy, “Do you think it’s okay to let her feed them?” since we certainly weren’t at a sanctioned petting zoo.  Just then, Addy’s hand lingered a bit too long near the horse’s mouth, and he proceeded to chomp down on her pointer finger.  As Mommy struggled to pry open the horse’s mouth, Addy was screaming and in tears.  We’ll see how much she continues to love horses! 

Addy is into classifying everyone as “nice” and telling us what she “loves.”  For instance, she told us, “Aunt Sara…niiiice.  Tessa… niiiice.”  At dinner, she told Mommy, “I love Colby cheese.  I love Muenster cheese.  I love Swiss cheese.”  At church on Saturday night, she announced, “Mr. Greg (church music minister)…nice guy.”  The next day Addy told Daddy, “I love Aunt Betsey…nice guy!”

Addy loves to swing FASTER and HIGHER. 

Addy and Daddy went to Farm & Fleet to pick out seat covers for the minivan.  Mommy asked Daddy to avoid any camouflage or leopard prints.  Upon assessing the covers available, Addy asked Daddy, “Tiger in there?”  Apparently, there were quite a few of the animal print options available!

Addy’s painted pottery piece suffered its first injury when stegosaurus lost a piece of his tail.  Luckily, a little super glue did the trick.

Addy enjoys telling “stories” to her high school babysitter, Rachel Russell.  She recently shared with Rachel that she bought a new van.  She also likes insisting on, “ONE MORE TIME,” even when Rachel needs to leave. 

Add likes putting toys on Stella’s face and laughing hysterically.  Stella doesn’t find this very amusing.

Mommy told Addy she had a headache.  Addy suggested that Mommy, “TAKE NAP.”  Yes, wouldn’t that be nice? 

Addy loves PANES (cranes), SE-MEES (semis), DUMP TRUCKS, CEMENT MIXERS, TANKER TRUCKS, BUSES, and EXCAVATORS.  She is also enthralled with ANTS, ITSY SPIDERS, FLYS, SQUIRRELS, SNAKES, PEET PEETS (tweet tweets aka birds), and WOOF WOOFS (dogs).  When looking out the living room window, Addy spotted neighbors outside for an evening walk.  She noted in a very disappointed voice, “WALKERS…NO WOOFS…JUST PEOPLE.”

When we were home for Colby Cheese Days, Mommy attempted to take both girls to 4 p.m. church at Abbotsford.  The “golden oldies” were not ready for the Roltgen family circus that day.  Mommy was literally sweating by the end of mass, as she wrestled with Addy for 60 minutes.  It didn’t help that we sat in the “immobility pew,” so we were not even able to go up for communion for a little change of scenery.  And yes, everyone in the entire church knew that Addy wanted a SNACK and that apparently her DADDY [was] AT HOME, which was not even true, as Daddy was working a military weekend! 

Addy had a slight mishap with her toy wagon.  Daddy was giving her the usual ride down the hallway, followed by a whipped around turn at the end.  This time, Addy lost her balance and faceplanted out of the wagon onto the floor.  There were quite a few tears, and the wagon was put away for a few weeks. 

Addy is working on her negotiation skills.  Anytime Addy requests something, whether it be extra time outside or marshmallows, she asks for “TWO MINUTES PLEASE.”  One night she wanted to read “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel” for “TWO MINUTES.”  Since it was getting late, Mommy said there wasn’t enough time.  Addy asked, “THREE MINUTES?”

Addy can count to ten consistently.  She knows some of the numbers between eleven and twenty.  She can identify basic colors including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, and white.

Adelline is ARTICULATE at 1 Year, 9 Months

It’s so fun listening to Addy try to string words together into sentences.  It feels like we are getting closer to having an actual back-and-forth conversation with our little chatterbox.  After prayers and songs each night, we talk about the day and what’s on tomorrow’s agenda.  It’s amazing to realize how much language development has taken place in such a short amount of time.  Addy’s vocabulary continues to expand, yet her tone of voice and emphasis on certain words and vowels make us laugh.  I want to hang on to these days sandwiched between early attempts at communication with signs and syllables and complete articulation where there’s no doubt that she’s telling us exactly what she thinks about our parenting, what she wants, and why she should be allowed to pierce her ears… go on a date…you get the idea! 

 

Addy’s speech has exploded.  She is starting to put sentences together—MOVE IT and TAKE SHIRT OFF HOT (Mommy blames Daddy).  She also has some cute expressions like OH NO in a very dramatic voice and OH DIS in a very excited high-pitched voice when she sees things like M & M’s (Mommy blames Daddy) and swingsets.  We laugh to ourselves when she asks for TA-TAS (tortillas). 

When Great-grandpa and Great-grandma came to our house for Stella’s Baptism, Addy began asking Great-grandpa for WOOF WOOF, the ceramic dog figurine.  Great-grandma commented that Arby’s always has a hard time understanding and spelling the name Lawrence, so she suggested Great-grandpa go by his new name—WOOF WOOF!  Addy was quite dismayed that WOOF WOOF was at home, but she is looking forward to our next visit.

Addy’s love for sauce is expanding as she enjoys dipping everything in salad dressing including fruit.

At Uncle Joel’s graduation party, Addy wanted Aunt Sara and Cousin Tessa to come home with us in the car.  Tessa knelt down at Addy’s level and explained, “Addy, tonight we are staying at a hotel, but we’ll come over to your house tomorrow after Stella gets Baptism-ed.” 

During Stella’s Baptism party at our house, Addy caught a glimpse of Grandma Vicky’s bra and pointed it out to her—BA. 

Every night, Addy asks for her “meow” jammies, which are fleece pajamas with a kitty on the front.  Unfortunately, she doesn’t quite understand that they are too small and the wrong material for summer sleeping.  We’ve had to resort to telling her that they are dirty and need washing.  It’s been almost a month now that she’s continued to ask for them.  It breaks Mommy’s heart to see the look of dismay on Addy’s face as she searches high and low for the “meow” jammies, but at least she didn’t have to throw away any of Addy’s treasured blankies yet.  We’ll have to tell Addy the story of Grandma Vicky throwing away Aunt Lyddia’s ratty old blankie after having convinced Lyddia that it was the right thing to do.  As the story goes, Lyddia opened the garbage can in the morning and reached in to check if blankie had gotten cold overnight.  Even Grandma Vicky almost retrieved the blankie from the trash after that tearjerker!     

At Bratfest, Addy was very excited for a BAHT.  She may have been the only almost two-year-old requesting one!

On our way home from Bratfest, Mommy asked Daddy if he had connected with Rottingers to see if they wanted to come to our house for dinner.  Addy immediately asked, “YI-YAY?”  We were shocked that she knew Lily’s last name.

On Saturday evening of Memorial Day weekend, Mommy subbed for music minister Greg Burnard at church.  Addy had a hard time understanding that she could not go up by Mommy during mass.  She kept asking for MAMA and trying to direct Daddy to the front of church by the piano.  During the sign of peace, Daddy brought Stella and Addy up to say hi.  Addy wanted to say hi again, so she made her move as Daddy was bringing Stella back to the pew.  She took off running toward Mommy and the piano and almost got a few notes in before being escorted back to her seat.  After communion, as a few people started leaving early, Addy kindly said, “BYE BYE.”  Toward the end of church, she announced loudly, “ALL DONE.”  She was definitely the entertainment for the evening, and everyone was amused watching Daddy try to handle both girls, even though he had some help from Anita O’Keefe, who held Stella until the sign of peace.

Addy has mastered drinking from a TUP (cup) with only an occasional spill.

Since Daddy has been working so many military duty days, Mommy has hired babysitters or asked neighbors to come over to take Addy outside or on walks.  Now anytime anyone comes to the door, Addy runs to the closet to get her shoes and coat while yelling, “OUT-SIDE, OUT-SIDE.”

Addy is becoming more aware of bodily functions like pooping.  At dinner, she was grunting one out in her highchair.  We asked if she needed to go potty.  She struggled to say NO as she completed the job, but she was happy to loudly announce, “POOP ALL DONE.” 

In the bathtub, Addy is fascinated with cleaning her private areas.  She then uses the same washcloth to try washing the shower walls. 

In the bathtub, Mommy and Addy were discussing where food comes from.  Mommy asked what Stella drank, and Addy said, “MILT.”  When questioned where it came from, Addy said, “MAMA.”  Mommy then asked where Addy’s milk came from, thinking she might have made the connection since the cow trading cards are on her half gallons of milk.  Addy informed Mommy that it came from a TUP (cup).

Addy tries to comfort her little sister with things she likes, such as books and stuffed animals, usually by setting them on Stella’s face or reaching up to drop them, cannonball style, into the crib.

We’ve been working on the full word banana, as Addy usually shortens it to NANA.  She now says, “BA,” followed by a pause and then, “NANA.”

Addy has seen us wiping spit up from Stella’s mouth, and she doesn’t want to be left out.  She will now create BUBBLES (drool) that need to be wiped from her mouth with a BURP CLOTH.

Addy is very attached to her monkey onesie.  She will look for it when it’s in the laundry by going through her dresser asking for, “MONKEY SHIT (shirt)?”

Addy is very intrigued by bugs.  Her interactions with them include pointing, attempting to give kisses, petting, and eventually picking them up to play.  She is especially interested in flies.  When there is a fly in the big picture window, Addy tries to touch it.  Normally, when an adult attempts to kill a fly, it’s nearly impossible to do with a Kleenex.  Addy is apparently a “bug whisperer,” as she will reach out and touch the fly multiple times, much to her delight.  She also likes to have conversations with the bugs, asking them to crawl down closer to her reach so she can touch them.  “[Gibberish] FLY [gibberish] DOWN [gibberish] RIGHT HERE [gibberish] PEAS (please).”  When Addy can’t find the fly, she explains to Mommy, “FLY NAP.” 

Daddy asked Mommy one night if she thought Addy’s feet were unusually large and stinky!  Mommy had to agree. 

Addy loves beets.  Anytime we go to the farmer’s market, she is on the hunt for her favorite food.  In early June, Mommy ran to the market with Addy in the jogger.  Addy was determined to find beets, even though Mommy tried to explain that they were not quite “in season” yet.  Lo and behold, our Running Club friend Bonnie Benson was the first to spot them and pointed out the stand to Addy.  Mommy had to laugh as she paid $2 for the world’s smallest beets.  After cooking and skinning them, Addy enjoyed her microscopic morsels of what Mommy called “gourmet beets.”

When Aunt Britty was visiting, she overheard Mommy reading the book “What Do I Eat?” to Addy.  Mommy likes to add details to books, especially when she disagrees with the authors.  For example, the book claims that chickens eat “corn.”  Mommy explained to Addy that chickens really should be free to eat bugs, grass, and spiders, but due to the farm bill and corn subsidies, many farmers are giving their chickens corn to eat.  Aunt Britty thought this embellishment was ridiculous and proceeded to add her own details to the book, telling Addy that cows eat “natural organic pesticide-free grass.”     

Addy competed in her first race, the 100-Yard Kids Dash at the Dandelion Dash 5K.  After false starting, Addy would take a few steps forward before lifting her arms and saying “UP” to Mommy.  This continued for the first 50 yards.  Finally, Mommy gave in and picked Addy up, and they crossed the finish line together in last place.  However, Addy was the only one-year-old registered, so she took first in her age group!     

Addy has officially gotten out of her bear bed a couple times, but we’ve been firm about her getting back to bed right away, so she scuttles across the room as soon as we open the door and give her “the look.” 

After watching us swaddle Stella, Addy insists that we WRAP Moosey in one of her blankets before naptime and bedtime.  We often hear an OH NO immediately after swaddling Moosey, as he “accidently” falls onto the floor out of the blanket.    

At Cousin Jack’s two-year-old birthday party, the kids splashed around in a kiddie pool and ran through the sprinkler.  Aunt Betsey had invited Addy to bring her swimsuit to join in the fun.  Daddy took this open invitation as a chance to bust out his Speedo and run through the party as a masked Speedo man, jumping on the trampoline, cannonballing into the kiddie pool, and disappearing behind the house.  It was an image that will be burned on everyone’s eyes for years to come! 

After Jack’s party, we stayed overnight at the dome with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Gretchen.  We enjoyed a “neature” walk through the woods in the morning.  Daddy insists that it is a “neature” rather than “nature” walk because he kept saying, “Wow, Addy, isn’t that _____________ neat?” 

Addy loves her high school babysitter, Rachel Russell.  She has figured out that she can convince Rachel to let her eat “Daddy’s cereal” aka Rice Krispies for snack, and as soon as Rachel arrives, Addy leads her to the fingerpaint and other messy art supplies.  Rachel is very kind and patient with Addy, and we really appreciate her help! 

Daddy is taking full credit for teaching Addy her colors, although he fails to mention his method—testing her by looking at M & M’s and giving her one if she says the color correctly.  Now Addy loves “BLUES” as she calls all M & M’s and can be found climbing up the kitchen table to try and sneak Rice Krispie treats that have blue M & M’s in them.  Daddy has created a monster!

Adelline is A STINKER at 1 Year, 8 Months

This has definitely been Addy’s “adjustment month” as we’ve seen some comical yet frustrating behaviors. While she’s always been gentle with Stella, her attention-seeking activities seem to peak when Mommy is breastfeeding and unable to intervene. As with so many other things, it will just take a little extra patience, as time always brings a new phase with other challenges, making us completely forget the tough times and only remember the smiles, laughs, and happy memories!

We are almost to the point where Addy will repeat any words we ask her to try. Her favorites this month are WES (neighbor Wesley), SAU (sauce aka salad dressing), BER (berries), OU-SHIDE (outside), PEAS (please), BEBE (baby with hands connected in front in a rocking baby position), UP HIGH, PUMP (breast pump), PEE-PEE (urine), POOP, ADDY BACE ROLCHIN (Adelline Grace Roltgen), and SIS-SAHS (stickers).

Addy enjoys salad as a first course at lunch and dinner. She insists on SAU (sauce aka salad dressing) for dipping vegetables, and she can often be found using her finger repeatedly to lick up any extra dressing on her plate. She has also discovered that drinking directly from the sauce bowl is even faster than using her fingers. Light balsamic vinaigrette dressing is apparently quite tasty as a beverage!

Addy went to a children’s dentist for her first official visit. She enjoyed the appointment until the dentist attempted to move closer to her by asking if he could count her fingers. Addy was on to his tricks immediately, so Daddy decide to forego the cleaning this time. Addy was very excited about the tokens she received at the end of the visit that she could use in the toy vending machines.

 Stella may be the best thing that ever happened to Addy. As Mommy’s fatigue level increases, Addy gets to try foods she has never had before including a donut after church and chips with our SUBWAY sandwiches. The second best thing that ever happened to her was Mommy writing a lesson plan on “feeding children” for NASCO. After reviewing best practice feeding recommendations, including a note about “forbidden foods,” Mommy reluctantly decided that Addy can try a few sweet treats now and then. Daddy is also very happy with this breakthrough, as he now can stop trying to sneak desserts when Addy isn’t looking.

A wind storm blew down part of our big pine tree in the backyard. Once the power company fixed the lines, they left us with a huge section of the tree, along with many branches. Addy helped Daddy load sticks into the wheelbarrow. She was very excited about her efforts and could be heard yelling, “MITE MITE MITE (Mike Mike Mike),” when she had another pile to show Daddy!

While Mommy is breastfeeding Stella, there are often shenanigans going on in the living room, hallway, and bedrooms. These include car “accidents” resembling WWF moves where the car is lifted off the ground and slammed on its side or upside down, digging through Mommy’s jewelry box to locate and then throw Mommy’s wedding ring and band around the room, pulling out all the cookbooks, and shutting the gate and slamming the door to her bedroom, followed by, “HELP HELP HELP.”

Overall, Addy has been a very good big sister, but she does not always like sharing Daddy’s attention. She will often direct him by saying, “STEL BOUNCE,” while motioning back-and-forth from Stella to the bouncy chair, meaning, “Please stop holding Stella and put her in the bouncy chair, so we can play!”

Aunt Britty, aka Supernanny, came down for a visit after Stella was born. She was hoping to teach Addy to use the potty while she was here. As it turned out, Addy can now clearly say, “NO POTTY,” in response to any sort of question regarding potty use! Aunt Britty was such an amazing helper. She was a pro at getting Stella to take naps, kept us well fed, washed and folded loads of laundry, and even found time to teach Addy how to launch eggs from her play kitchen using a hot dog bun and spoon. Now Addy keeps requesting, “EGG FLYS.” Thank you again Aunt Britty!

Addy loves monkeys. In the book “Hug Time,” there is a page halfway through the story with a chimpanzee on it. When we get to the page, it usually results in a five minute stop to make monkey sounds, give kisses, and stare affectionately at the chimp. If Mommy or Daddy tries to continue the story before Addy is ready to move on, she will promptly turn the page back to the chimp and start the routine all over again.

Addy is very attached to her three fleece blankets. She originally had only two, but Mommy purchased a third one with plans to rotate it out as we did laundry. Unfortunately, Addy now thinks she has three blankets and won’t allow the rotation to take place. When we do wash the blankets, we have to sneak them downstairs quickly, wash and dry, and then return them to her bedroom. Mommy tries hiding the blankets under her shirt, resembling a pregnant belly, when she’s sneaking them downstairs. Daddy’s tactic involves stuffing them down his pajama pants, so he looks like MC Hammer, and singing, “Can’t Touch This.” Clearly, the almost-two-year-old is in charge on this issue!

Addy was running haphazardly around the kitchen one day, as her sense of balance seemed to be out of sorts. As Mommy asked her to be careful and slow down, Addy took off running and proceeded to fall in a “banana peel slip” manner flat on her back.

Brooklyn Lust, our neighbor and Mommy’s former carpool partner from Wisconsin Heights School District, came over to pick up Addy one day when Daddy was gone for military duty. As Mommy explained Addy’s schedule, Brooke said, “Well, if she gets hungry, we’ll just have a snack, right Addy?” Addy perked up at the word “snack.” Brooke then followed it with, “Maybe a snack like a cookie, right?” Addy’s response was a bit more enthusiastic this time, as she said, “YYYYYYEAH!”

Addy loves watching Stella roll out of tummy time. She says, “MO ROLL,” and gestures in a circle with her hand as she asks Stella to do more rolls.

Addy has seen an increase in timeouts recently as she has discovered freedom from rules while Mommy is nursing Stella and Daddy is working military days. Incidents include dumping dirt out of the potted plants, throwing everything she can get her hands on, refusing to pick up toys, standing on top of her princess cruiser car, filling the toilet with paper, shoving food items from her play kitchen all the way into her mouth, and squishing tomatoes between her hands before throwing them on the floor.

It seems that Addy’s bed is still surrounded by invisible fence, as she will scream if one of her blankets or an animal falls out, but she will not leave the bed to retrieve anything. The game of throwing an animal out of the bed to avoid going to sleep has officially begun!

During a diaper change, Addy grabbed a wipe from the basket and started washing her face while repeating her new favorite word—POOP.

Addy continues to pet her little sister and say, “AWWWW STEL,” in a very high voice that sounds like a little old lady. Apparently that’s what happens when you name your children “grandma names” like Stella and Adelline!

Addy will have many stories to tell when she starts school. She recently ripped off her shirt and ran over to Mommy’s breast pump asking if she could PUMP.

Every time Stella is crying, Addy tries to locate PACI and shove it in Stella’s mouth. We’ve had several discussions about waiting to see what Stella needs before we give her the pacifier. When Addy is asked if she is a good helper with her little sister, she replies, “PACI.”

When Mommy told Addy we were planning to visit Great-grandma Adelle and Great-grandpa Lawrence at their house, she began asking for “BUS.” Apparently, she remembered playing with the Little People school bus that is now on its third generation. When we arrived, she began asking for the bus. After a bit of swinging outside, Great-grandpa joined us on the patio. He agreed to take Addy inside to get the bus, but he did not actually know what he was looking for. Addy led him in the house and began searching all the rooms. They came back outside empty-handed. Great-grandma and Mommy had a good laugh as we explained that “BUS” was the old toy from upstairs. Addy eventually found the bus and enjoyed loading it up with all the people. She insisted they enter through the door, but she would always forget to close the door before driving away, so there were quite a few accidents in the grass as the people fell out and were run over. Later, Great-grandpa became Addy’s new pal as he hid a ceramic dog figurine in his shirt pocket. She was thrilled with this game and kept saying, “WOOF WOOF!”

Adelline is A LITTLE PERSON at 1 Year, 7 Months

Oh, how life has changed for us! We are so happy to welcome beautiful Stella Alice Roltgen to our family. Her birth was absolutely amazing, and we are blessed with another healthy baby girl. Parenting is certainly about perspective, as I now realize four things:

1) The ratio of one baby to two adults is much easier than two little ones to two adults—IF we have another, we’ll need to work on our zone defense skills;
2) I have learned a lot about parenting in the short time Addy has been part of our family—hopefully she’ll forgive us for all our rookie mistakes;
3) What I’m doing as a mother day in and day out is enough—there’s no need to be stressed or worried about being a “perfect” parent;
4) My body is capable of much more than I give it credit for—I don’t want to say natural childbirth was enjoyable, but I am awed and honored by what I was able to accomplish with Daddy’s support, good thoughts from family and friends, and lots of prayer!

Addy has lots of words to share with us. Her new favorites are HO (home), WRI (write), SOC (soccer), IDDY (Aunt Lyddia), MAR (Grandpa Mark), BOB (Grandpa Bob), MIL (Camille, our neighbor’s little girl), SHA (shape sorter), YI-YAY (Lily), RI (rice), EGG, EX (excavator), DISH (dishes as in “let’s put away the dishes”), HIIII STEL (Hi Stella), BEBE (baby), MIKE (Daddy), and WOOF (dog).

Addy has yet to try to get out of her toddler bed at naptime and bedtime, but she has discovered the light switch next to her bed and enjoys flipping it off and on before and after naptime. Luckily it sometimes gets “stuck” in the halfway position, so the light becomes non-functional!

Addy loves the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” song. She requests it at naptime and bedtime with the actions, which include wild waving arms and fingers to simulate “fast rain” and arms connected over her head for the “sun.” She also likes all the verses of “Kookaburra” and the “ABC Song,” which she tries so hard to fill in with the correct letters at the pause points but usually goes with “I” for most guesses! ABCDEF [pause] I? H [pause] I. JKLMN [pause] I? P. QR [pause] ESSSS. TU [pause] I? WXY and [pause] CCZZ!

Addy sings along to “Baa Baa Black Sheep.”

Addy has been using her hands to eat food that is too delicious to take the time to use a spoon such as oatmeal and tofu with cinnamon and brewer’s yeast. Then she asks over and over again for “Sara.” Translation: “Please bring me a washcloth knitted by Aunt Sara.”

Addy enjoyed the Kids Expo at the Alliant Energy Center. Her favorites included the model swingset, trampoline (until Daddy threw her on her back and she bit her lip on the way down), exotic animals, and balloons.

In the very short amount of time it took Daddy to put away his laundry (for the record, the laundry was washed, dried, and folded by Mommy) and use the bathroom, Addy created her own “tattoo” all over her arm with a blue glitter pen! She also enjoys accessorizing her shirts in the same way while Daddy is not paying attention.

Addy had a great time when Grandpa Mark, Grandma Vicky, and Aunt Lyddia came to visit the weekend of the WIAA Girls State Basketball Tournament. She was a good sport, despite being under the weather due to teeth or illness. As always, she immediately gravitated to Grandpa Mark, or MAR as she calls him. She also had lots of fun playing with Grandma Vicky and Aunt Lyddia, aka IDDY. Addy enjoyed convincing them to let her take out all her toys at one time, telling stories about the smoke alarm in the kitchen and her fall by the window with snake, and directing her breakfast oatmeal preparation, which included adding tofu. As the weekend went on, she got more and more tired and was soon laying her head to the side in her highchair and agreeing to take naps. Grandma Vicky kept marveling at how much Addy had grown up since Christmas and noting that she was “a little person” now.

Addy is starting to fill in the words to her bedtime prayers and songs.

We are seeing some very comical temper tantrums from Addy. They usually involve throwing herself flat onto the floor to express her dismay at not being able to have a chocolate Cliff bar or play with toys before bedtime. Transitions also cause this reaction, so we are trying to remember to give plenty of warnings when we are going to be leaving a fun place. Daddy noted that Addy had to stop to move several toys out of the way in order to lay flat on the floor during one of her outbursts!

Daddy and Addy had a few days of Daddy-daughter time when Mommy attended the family and consumer sciences conference. They went on many adventures including visiting Aunt Sara, Aunt Betsey, and Uncle Kevin; hanging out with Cousins Tessa and Jack; hiking at the dome; playing at various playgrounds; attending a musical performance by KG and The Ranger; and stopping at the trainyard. Details of some of their other antics—late bedtimes, macaroni and cheese lunches, and chocolate chip cookie snacks—are slowly being shared with Mommy!

Addy has started parroting Mommy’s calling for Daddy when he tries to conveniently disappear in the middle of unpleasant tasks like dishes and housework. Even Daddy cannot hide from his little girl calling, “MIKE,” as loud as she can.

Mommy was downstairs one evening after Addy had gone to bed and heard a very loud THUNK followed by ear-piercing screaming. Addy had fallen out of bed onto the hardwood floor and was trying to climb back in by the time Mommy got there. Despite blood dripping everywhere and a cut lip, Addy just wanted to go back to bed. What a trooper! We now have large pillows on the floor next to her bed.

Addy loves asking for MO (more) of everyone from snack to squirrels to ambulances driving by with sirens blaring and lights flashing. We are trying to help her understand that it’s not very nice to ask for more ambulances since it means someone might be hurt. Addy appears to listen intently to Daddy and Mommy’s explanation and then ask, “MO?”

Addy likes to say “awwwww” to babies and stuffed animals. Hopefully this will also be extended to her new sibling.

Daddy and Addy were at McFarland High School meeting with Daddy’s long-term sub when Mommy called Daddy telling him to come home right away. Daddy called Kyle and Jamie Meise, our neighbors, to take care of Addy until Uncle Jay could get to our house. Mommy and Daddy left for the hospital at 6:30 p.m., and Baby Stella Alice Roltgen was born at 9:05 p.m. that night.

Addy went to her first Easter egg hunt with Kyle, Jamie, and Andrew Meise. In lieu of a basket, she collected two eggs in her sunhat. After the initial hunt was over, Addy liked finding the additional eggs that were tossed back out for those who wanted to keep searching.

Addy visited her little sister Stella for the first time at St. Mary’s Hospital. She gave her several gentle pets accompanied by “awwwww”s.

After arriving home on Easter Sunday from the hospital, Mommy and Daddy were both amazed at how big Addy seemed compared to Stella. She literally “grew up” while we were away for a few days!

Addy has definitely been letting us know she is still here after bringing Stella home. We’ve seen quite a few flat-on-the-floor tantrums, and her new favorite response to everything is “no.” However, she has been very gentle with Stella and reluctantly brings Stella her cow stuffed animal, usually after giving it snuggles, a ride on the princess mobile, and kisses.

Addy is now into smiling for pictures, which involves scrunching her face into the most ridiculous pose while looking up at the picture taker.

Mommy is reading the book “Bringing Up Bebe” about differences in French and American parenting and has started implementing some of the French strategies. One of the suggestions is to serve meals in courses that include a wide variety of interesting cheeses. We already eat in courses, but Mommy decided that our cheeses were not adventurous enough. She sent Daddy to the store to find something out of the mainstream. She suggested goat or bleu cheese. At bedtime snack, Addy tried a piece of goat cheese, made an awful face, and then batted the cheese out of her mouth piece by piece as it slowly melted down her face, creating a huge mess. Later, when Mommy and Daddy tried a piece, they had a similar reaction! Apparently, it’s an acquired taste.

Adelline is AUDACIOUS at 1 Year, 6 Months

Daddy’s coworker commented that her household can only handle her being gone one night of the week. When hit with the second round of flu this winter, I could definitely relate. Daddy is amazing at taking Addy on adventures to Menards, the zoo, the airport to watch planes, and the mall play area, but the house seems to fall into federal disaster zone status within a matter of hours when they are both home unsupervised. It is almost mind boggling how fast they can go through toys, snacks, and laundry. I find myself exasperated as I follow their “trail” asking, “Are you playing Hansel and Gretel?” to which Addy and Daddy flash their most innocent faces before running away to avoid the question.

Well baby check-ups continue to be a source of great anxiety for Addy. We talk about all the things the doctor and nurses are going to do ahead of time, but it never fails that the screaming starts the minute we exit the waiting room and does not end until a teary child waves and says BYE to the nurse. Addy has also added ALL DONE signs and loud NO NO NOs to her doctor’s office repertoire. Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy try to discuss concerns and ask for advice over the wailing. Dr. Bellissimo is always so patient and assures us things will turn around by the time Addy is a little older...maybe as a teenager!

Addy tells us a sheep says BAH, and a bunny goes HOP HOP. She also says CHE (cheese), WA (wallet not to be confused with WA for water!), BOO (boot), HUG, RO (roll), BOW (bowl), HOE (Hooey), and BATH. Addy likes repeating numbers and letters such as O, I, B, J, one, and eight.

Addy loved the Zor Shrine Circus. We were amazed she was able to sit through a two and a half hour show with only a couple snacks and a few squirmy moments. She was fascinated by the animal acts and the motorcycle cage and jumps. Daddy almost gave in and bought a huge circus balloon as Addy’s OH OH OHs and ecstatic pointing drew everyone’s attention to the balloon display making its way down the aisle toward us. For the record, Daddy and Addy exited the elephant ride line after they were close enough to see the price—$15 PER PERSON!

Aunt Britty came to visit, and it was so neat to see Addy interact with her at this age. They had lots of fun setting puzzles, building block towers, and snuggling on the couch with books. Aunt Britty started a routine where Hooey the Parrot sneezes by saying, “Ahhhh-Hooey,” which is now part of our daily activities.

Addy surprised us all by going #2 on the potty when Aunt Britty was here. Mommy could hear Aunt Britty laughing and Addy saying UH OH over and over again in the bathroom. Apparently, Addy had gotten up a little too soon from the potty and left a trail of poop halfway across the bathroom. Mommy kicked Aunt Britty, who then remembered she should be praising Addy instead of laughing.

During Aunt Britty’s visit, the car alarm went off because the trunk was left open. Addy was very concerned and wanted to tell us the story over and over again, mostly by saying YEAH YEAH YEAH and pointing out the window. This continued throughout dinner and bedtime routine. It began again the next morning as Addy had to inform Daddy about the events of the previous night.

Addy is very impressed with the bear toddler bed we borrowed from Grandma Vicky and Grandpa Mark. She likes sitting on the bed, growling, and petting the bear’s face while reading books.

One night before bed, Addy ran to the refrigerator, motioned frantically for us to open the door, and then pointed emphatically to the pickle jar. As Mommy chided Daddy for introducing Addy to a pure-salt snack, Daddy denied any involvement. Apparently, Addy figured out on her own why we all love Grandma Dell’s dill pickles.

Eli was conveniently “busy” during clean-up time at daycare. Addy decided to go over and “explain” to him what he was supposed to be doing. She leaned forward to get in his face and babble several sentences. Eli just stared blankly at her, but he did decide to wander over and put a couple blocks away after Addy’s very intense reminder. Mommy and Daddy are already worried about parent-teacher conferences!

One night before bed, Addy was yelling MO MO MO at Mommy in the kitchen while Daddy was trying to tell her that she had enough cheese and could have a bagel if she was still hungry. Mommy reiterated what Daddy was saying as Addy became more and more frantic and upset. As Mommy and Daddy looked at each other wondering how to diffuse the situation, Mommy realized Addy was saying MO (moose), not MO (more). Sorry sweetie girl!

When Mommy was at the sink rinsing dishes, Addy climbed into her highchair and caught a glimpse of the swingset catalog sitting on the table. She proceeded to S-T-R-E-T-C-H herself with legs on the chair and hands on the table to reach the catalog. Mommy turned around just in time to witness and rescue our little human bridge builder before she faceplanted on the floor.

We had a great family weekend in Stevens Point for the annual Point Bock Run. Addy loved staying at Uncle Thomas and Aunt Angela’s house. She was thrilled with all the “playmates” there, namely many different stuffed animals throughout the house and Thomas and Angela’s college friends. Mommy and Daddy were very impressed with Addy’s friendliness, as she has been a little shy of new people and places in the past.

Addy loves playing peek-a-boo by putting her hands over her eyes, usually while still peering through her fingers to make sure you are playing along.

Addy, Eli, and Lily enjoy playing with the “texture box” Mommy put together for them. The coveted toy consists of an old shoe box with a hole cut in the top, so the kids can put their hands in and search for various items. They also love putting the beaded necklaces from the “pirate treasure chest” around their necks. Who would have guessed all those “precious” souvenirs would be so useful someday?

During Addy and Eli’s playdate at the Verona pool, Daddy dunked Addy under water several times after asking her to close her eyes, counting to three, and blowing in her face right before going underwater. Addy seemed to like it. She is also getting better at kicks in the water.

Addy was not a fan of the “tattoo application process” during pirate week at daycare. She wanted nothing to do with the washcloth on her skin. Lily and Eli loved their tattoos.

Addy has been a snuggler after lunch. She brings all her blankets, Moose, and Hooey over to Mommy and puts her arms up to be held. If Mommy starts rocking her, Addy will point to Mommy’s mouth requesting a song. Usually Mommy sings “Our God is an Awesome God” or “Thy Word,” but one day she started asking Addy which song she wanted to hear. Addy kept saying DA, so Mommy assumed she meant Daddy’s bedtime song—“Amazing Grace.” As it turned out, Addy wanted Mommy to sing a silly song called “Senor Don Gato” that Daddy had played on YouTube the previous night where the cat dies and is paraded through town in a cardboard box before coming back to life when passing the fish market!

At the park, Addy loves swinging and going down the slide. At the top of the slide, she sits several feet back from the entrance waiting for the signal to go down, which gives Mommy and Daddy time to get to the ground to catch her. As she scoots forward, she realizes how high up she is and tries to turn onto her stomach or change her mind about going down the slide. After offering to hold her hands, she goes down the slide, and a big smile lights up her face every time.

Addy has successfully transitioned to her new bear bed without a tear! Mommy and Daddy have commented that bedtime is actually easier now. Who would have guessed? The first night, Daddy snuck into the room after Addy was asleep to line the floor with pillows, but so far, no falls. Our little girl is growing up!

Addy loves the “farting” noises Mommy and Daddy make when she lifts the flap in her farm book where the cow is going poop.

Daddy took Addy on an adventure to the Dane County Airport to watch the planes taking off and landing. What he failed to gauge was how exciting the opportunity to sit in the front seat would be. Instead of watching the planes, Addy was fascinated by pressing all the control buttons on the dash and then devastated when Daddy said it was time to get back into her carseat.

Addy loves using Mommy’s eyelashes to open her eyes. Mommy pretends to be sleeping and then awakens as a monster. This is apparently hilarious.

Addy had a little mishap with the snake figurine in our front window one morning when Mary was dropping Eli off for daycare. Mary and Mommy looked up as Addy cried out to see the snake tipped over in the windowsill and Addy’s feet up in the air. Addy had tipped headfirst over the back of the couch, but the snake saved her from falling to the floor. As Mommy jumped up to rescue her, she stepped on Eli’s toes, which caused the second meltdown of the morning. Addy likes to retell the story by pointing to the snake and the area behind the couch and saying YEAH YEAH YEAH over and over again!

Addy was very dismayed when Mommy had to pack away her favorite striped sweater that she tried to put on every day over her outfit. Unfortunately (fortunately?), it was getting a little too tight.

Addy is always very enthusiastic about snack time before nap. One day, she came running into the kitchen and executed a perfect “safe” slide into “home plate” next to her water and snack bowl.

Adelline is A GIRL WITH OPINIONS at 1 Year, 5 Months

As my pregnancy progresses, Addy’s energy levels seem to rise by the day. I am starting to feel the exhaustion of third trimester, but unfortunately, Addy has outgrown her second nap. This Mommy needs an afternoon nap! Addy’s vocabulary has really expanded this month, and she continues to give new words a try on a daily basis. Thankfully, she still does some of her oh-so-cute baby babble from time to time, to which we respond, “Wow, that is very interesting,” or, “What a great story. Thanks for sharing.” We’re going to miss that unintelligible babble when she can quite clearly articulate exactly why, when, and how she disagrees with us!

Daddy and Addy went to Ida’s to babysit Thomas and Jackson one night. Addy was on safety patrol as she loudly pointed out all the uncovered outlets with a very urgent, “UH OH!”

Addy pretends to make her breakfast cereal by whisking in her little kitchen pots.

Addy and Lily are buddies, as Addy makes sure Lily has Grinch by her side throughout the day. If Grinch gets too far away, Addy immediately retrieves him and brings him to Lily. We thought about getting Addy her own Grinch, but Amazon’s best deal was $39.99. When you miss the $5 Kohl’s Cares stuffed animal special promotion, the mark-up is astounding!

Addy’s latest words include NIGH NIGH (night night) before bed, MO (more), HI, CHAI (chair), BU (bus), BA (bread), BUTT (this one is quite clear and needs no interpretation), DIS (this), ADDY, MI (milk), BA (Aunt Britty), SIRL (squirrel), ONE (sometimes while holding up one finger, but most of the time refusing to do so), CERL (cereal), SEAHO (seahorse), and WA (water). Addy also tells us a cow says MOO and an ambulance/fire truck/police car says WOOO.

Addy likes to echo parts of her “God Bless” prayer. When we name family members and friends, she will say DJACK for her cousin Jack, SSSSARA for Aunt Sara, and JAY for Uncle Jay. She also repeats MA, DA, and ADDY.

Addy is starting to transition out of her two daily naps, much to Mommy’s sadness! She has been pretty consistent with going to bed at 8:30 p.m. and sleeping until 7:30 a.m. Now without a second nap, we have witnessed the famous “beast baby” behavior identified and named by the Longs. This behavior includes wild flailing of arms, throwing one’s body on the floor in a tantrum, kicking everything off the changing table, and becoming a writhing jellyfish when picked up. Thankfully, Addy’s bedtime has moved up to 7:30 p.m. without a second nap.

During bedtime prayers in her room, Addy enjoys doing hot laps and being as wild as possible. She hides in the corner by her closet and crawls in circles around Mommy and Daddy. Daddy has learned to position himself in the doorway to block the only exit!

Addy makes us laugh with her “naked baby time” before bath. Of course, we encourage it by chasing her around the house. She will often stop to sweep the floor or complete other important tasks that apparently must be done while naked!

We had our first accident during naked time before bath. Fortunately, it was on the tile floor in the bathroom and not the living room carpet.

Mommy had to attend a neighborhood board meeting at Talula’s, so Addy and Daddy tagged along for dinner. Addy loved the singers and entertained people in the bar area with her dancing and antics. When Daddy took her home early for bedtime, Addy started yelling, “UH UH UH,” from the back seat and trying to turn to see if Mommy had gotten into the car. She was very concerned Daddy was leaving without all the passengers! Daddy assured Addy that Mommy was getting a ride home after the meeting.

During daycare, Addy and Eli love running to the nursery, opening the door, and slamming it shut before Mommy can get there to supervise. One day, Mommy decided to give them a couple minutes before checking in on the monkey business. After hearing the door slam, she waited and then approached the nursery to knock and play peek-a-boo with Addy and Eli. As it turned out, Eli was the only one in the room. After checking the closet and behind the door, Mommy started to panic as she frantically opened door after door in the hallway looking for Addy, who was being very quiet. After a couple minutes of searching, Addy was located in the main bathroom, snuggling with her duck towel. Mommy did notice that Addy was able to go through a few off-limits cabinets with those “sticky fingers” of hers.

Addy struggles to sit down during snack time if she is not contained in a highchair. After multiple reminders and attempts to “Fred Flintstone” all over the house while snacking, Addy figured out she can technically “sit” on her car while still in motion. Mommy is quite sure preschool and kindergarten will be more than happy to accommodate Addy’s need for continual movement, right? An exercise ball chair may be in her future!

Daddy has a piece of artwork in the living room called “Orange Juice.” It is one of his favorites—a picture of an orange with an electrical outlet on the side. As our safety patrol officer, Addy pointed to the picture recently and said, “UH OH,” as one of the outlets does not have a cover on it!

Addy is very good at saying SARA. She now separates the word into two syllables: SA-RA. We called Aunt Sara during bathtime, so she was able to hear Addy saying her name.

Addy is very attuned to messes or dirt on the floor. When people come into the house without wiping their shoes or if they do not stay completely on the rug, she will run over and say, “UH OH,” over and over again pointing at the gathering pile of dirt and snow. She also points out spots on Daddy’s pants that need attention. Daddy commented that “Grandma Vicky would be proud!”

Addy woke up one night at 11 p.m. when Daddy tried opening her room door to let more heat in during the night. After a diaper change and drink of water, she refused to go back to sleep. Instead, she stood and screamed in her crib for 45 minutes. We tried giving her Tylenol, thinking her teeth must be bothering her, but the screaming continued. Finally, around 12:30 p.m., as Mommy was contemplating a possible trip to Urgent Care, Daddy got up with Addy and went out to the living room to rock in the chair. Mommy could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. Apparently, Addy had been screaming for an hour and a half because she wanted to eat a bagel. After an entire bagel and half a piece of bread, she was ready to lay back down at 1 a.m. However, when she was getting full, she refused to give Daddy the last two pieces of her bread. Instead, she held onto them for dear life (and made a HUGE crumbly mess all over the floor) until she was too sleepy to care and then dropped them on the floor. What a kid!

Addy enjoys climbing into her highchair by herself many times throughout the day as she continually requests snacks. She then throws herself on the floor screaming when Mommy says, “No, we just had breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack.” How many times does a child seriously need to eat in 24 hours?

Addy has also been attempting to climb into her crib, which is definitely the preferred direction!

In addition to being ultra-perceptive of messes on the floor, Addy is also unable to move past the obstacle until we clean it up. She was recently a frozen statue in the garage, as the UH OHs continued until Mommy picked her and helped her walk past the dirt and salt all over the floor.

Addy likes to pretend she has stiff legs that swing out to the sides, a movement we call her “wooden soldier” walk.

Addy’s favorite new word is DIS (this). She uses it to point out all the things she would like throughout the day, from snacks to toys to off-limits items. DIS DIS DIS. Would you like some yogurt? NO. DIS DIS DIS. Would you like a Clementine? NO. DIS DIS DIS. Ohhhhh, you would like the frozen package of ground beef. YEAH!

Addy enjoys peeling Clementines and bananas and composting the peel.

Addy and Eli have both started to establish many of their own opinions about things. Mommy has to remember to avoid yes or no questions and stick with things like, “Would you like the pink or the green diaper shell?,” instead of, “Do you need a diaper change?” (NO!)

Eli cracks us up when his mom tries to pack him up to leave daycare for the day. He has perfected running away, pretending not to see her, hiding, turning into a jellyfish, and yelling, “NO NO NO!”

Addy has a couple new sippy cups with a straw thanks to a shopping trip with Daddy. She forgets to leave the cups level to drink and often has to be reminded. One day, after attempting to tip the cup back, she set it on the floor, and bent over into an impressive yoga pose to sip from the straw at her feet.

Addy and Daddy continue to be best buddies. When he was gone for his military weekend, Addy repeated DA? DA? DA? and pointed toward the front door over and over again every time she heard any kind of sound outside of the room were playing in.

Addy will say MAW and sign “cat” (pulling whiskers by nose) when asked what a kitty says.

Addy is very “helpful” in the bathroom. She likes to plunge the toilet, pull paper from the roll and put it in the garbage can, and rearrange items in the cabinets under the sink.

In the morning, Addy has learned to stand at the far end of her crib, so she has a view out her bedroom door to “catch” Mommy or Daddy trying to sneak past to use the bathroom or take care of something in the kitchen before going in to get her up for the day.

One morning, Addy insisted on eating plain tofu chunks instead of having Mommy mash them up in her oatmeal.

Addy notifies Mommy and Daddy about various concerns by coming up to us and saying, “UMMMM…” followed by babbling or excessive pointing. Mommy realized the apple does not fall far from the tree when she recently heard herself saying, “Ummmm, excuse me Adelline, we do not…” Oops!

Addy now points to her diaper when it is messy or wet and “explains” the problem to us. Maybe potty training is closer on the horizon than we think!

Our little monkey is NOT ready for a toddler bed. Please pray for us!

Mommy came into Addy’s room one morning to find her pajamas completely unzipped and taken off. There was also a little girl laughing hysterically.

Our attempt at Addy’s 18-month pictures was one for the memory books. It started when Mommy decided to trim Addy’s hair the night before. Let’s just hope the “bowl cut” look is back in style! It continued at Portrait Innovations, where Addy decided she disliked everything about the place, including the photographers and any toys they tried showing her. She clung to Daddy for dear life, cried, picked her nose, and emphatically said NO to every request made of her. We did manage to get one halfway decent photo, so that will be a good reminder of the 18-month experience.

Without a second nap, Addy gets a little sassy before bedtime. One night, she refused to put pajamas on. Daddy was trying to make a game out of it by “feeding” the pajamas under her bedroom door asking Addy to put them on. As soon as he opened the door, Addy whipped the pajamas at Daddy’s face. The bathroom hand towels have also experienced Addy’s bedtime wrath. After seeing the towels go flying, Mommy couldn’t help but laugh, and soon, Addy’s cries turned to a smile. Fatigue gets the best of all of us sometimes!

One night as we were trying to skip bathtime since bedtime was quickly approaching, Addy was not excited about having her messy diaper changed. Daddy called Mommy in for back-up, but it was too late. There were already poop on Addy’s shirt and changing table, and she decided it would be hilarious to slap her butt while we were scrambling to grab wipes and keep her kicking feet out of the mess. The horrified/dismayed looks on our faces must have been enough to make her think it was a game, as she continued putting her hands into the poop. Apparently, a quick bath was on our agenda after all!

Adelline is A SMARTIE at 1 Year, 4 Months

It has been fascinating to watch Addy’s play progress from adult-centered antics to solitary and parallel play to the start of pretend and imaginary play. Addy loves her stuffed animals and melts our hearts with the kindness she exhibits toward them. We hope it continues with her new baby brother or sister! Addy is more willing to try repeating words we ask her say, and she surprises us every day with all the new things she has learned, especially when we have not specifically focused on a particular concept or skill. The most recent example happened when Addy took one of our key sets and stood on her tiptoes to pretend to lock the front door from the inside. Her antics this month are filled with similar stories. She is learning so much and growing up way too fast!

Even Daddy could not escape the flu that hit our house before Christmas. Luckily, he was able to take care of Mommy and Addy for several days before he got sick. He tried to pretend that it was a bad turkey sandwich causing his illness, but he soon gave in and admitted he had the flu. The flu seemed to affect adults much more than the kids. Eli, Lily, and Addy all had mild cases while the parents were sidelined for several days by it! Mary Long named the flu “Rottinger Disease” as it was responsible for shutting down daycare for several days.

Uncle Jay and our neighbors Jamie and Kyle Miese took Addy off our hands for a few hours when we were really sick. Thankfully, Jamie and Kyle managed to avoid the flu, especially since Jamie is pregnant, but Uncle Jay texted and teased Daddy for “using Addy as a biological weapon against him.”

Addy did a great job with her first Salvation Army bell ringing experience. She was a “wild bell ringer” at times, but she definitely worked the crowd, and we were able to collect a bucket full of money during our shift from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, December 19, at Sentry on Cottage Grove Road.

Addy’s latest words are SIT (sometimes sounds like SHIT!), DJACK for her cousin Jack, SSSSARA for her Aunt Sara, and OH OH OH in a high voice for Cheerios. She signs “airplane,” “light,” and “moon.”

Addy likes to pretend to wash her hair by using the mini bottle of hand sanitizer from Mommy’s purse. She rubs the top of her head while holding the bottle.

We visited the Rotary lights display at the zoo in Marshfield during our visit to Colby and decided to try a Santa visit since he and Mrs. Clause were in a heated hut. The visit was very quick as we snapped a picture of Addy screaming and trying to escape while Santa looked disinterested and told Mrs. Clause to “give ‘er a candy cane.” As we exited the hut a few moments after we entered, Mike told the people in line we had a “short list” this year, which made them chuckle. I am quite sure they heard the screams!

Addy had a wonderful Christmas with both sides of the family. She was not shy or scared of people, much to the relief of Mommy and Daddy. The Calmes/Stettler/Mertens/Roltgen/Ellenbecker families tried a “progressive Christmas” this year starting at Great-Grandma Adelle and Great Grandpa Lawrence’s house for quick breads, cheese, and games. We “progressed” to Aunt Britty and Uncle Eric’s house for salad and Christmas carols, during which Addy liked dancing to “What Child is This?” and playing piano during “Silver Bells.” We also attempted the “12 Days of Christmas” by handing out slips of paper, each with a line of the song written on it. Addy added to the fun and laughter by running out with only a diaper on halfway through the countdown of days. We completed the evening at Grandpa Mark and Grandma Vicky’s house, where we enjoyed soup, ham roll-ups, bread, and dessert. Addy was very deliberate about unwrapping presents and had fun with all the Christmas excitement. In fact, she had such a good time she kept Grandpa Mark up half the night during her sleepover. They were both waiting for Santa  We actually have to place a little of the blame on Grandpa Mark who kept trying to cover her up with blankets that were underneath her. We warned him about that maneuver!

The Roltgen side of the family celebrated in two shifts this year, as not everyone could make it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We were part of the Christmas Day crowd, where we enjoyed a nice meal, followed by the modified sibling gift exchange involving socks and candy this year under Aunt Sara’s direction. Addy loved doing hot laps through Grandpa Bob and Grandma Gretchen’s living/dining/music rooms, jumping on Grandma Gretchen’s stuffed dragon, and pretending to ride the tricycle around the house.

Addy’s favorite present was a squeaky teething giraffe named Sophie that she used to have when she was younger. The old Sophie started to mold, or got “scuffed” according to the lab report, so we had to take her back. Daddy was right that Addy was overjoyed by the return of Sophie. She would not let go of her as soon as she was out the package. Of course, this was the gift Mommy gave to Addy to open during Great-Grandpa’s Christmas reading, thinking it would keep her busy. Little did Mommy know that Addy now understood Sophie was a squeaky toy, so the continuous squeaking started during the end of Great-Grandpa’s reading, proceeded for an hour past bedtime in her pack ‘n’ play, and continued into the night with Grandpa Mark. Addy fell asleep on top of Sophie clutching her for dear life!

Addy did a great job with all the traveling throughout Christmas this year. She entertains herself with mini books, blankets, reindeer/moose, and scenery out the window. We hardly hear a peep out of her, unless she starts “chattering” about something she sees or reads!

During daycare, everyone must be seated during snack time. Addy and Eli like to push the limits by kneeling or squatting, so Mommy started saying, “sit on your butt.” The day before Christmas break, Eli started repeating the word “butt” in the morning, continued through lunch, and entertained his extended family over Christmas with his new word. Addy also likes to sit and use her feet to “Fred Flintstone” her way to various locations around the kitchen and living room during snack. She has inherited Daddy’s metabolism and with her movements, most likely has the snack calories burned off before snack time is over.

When asked what Santa says, Addy responds in a low voice, “HHH HHH.” Santa never gets his third HO!

Mary, Kevin, and Eli Long hosted a Wild Baby Sleepover at their house during Christmas break. Addy continued her preference for men and latched on to Kevin from the start. She grabbed his finger the moment she arrived and led him around the house while jabbering, “Ya ba da ba da ba…”

Addy’s chores include scrubbing floors and any other surfaces that catch her eye, throwing away trash or what she deems as trash, unloading the dishwasher, sorting laundry, cleaning up toys, throwing her dirty clothes in the hamper, and delivering requested items. She is a great helper!

Mommy asked Addy if she would like to play with the “hungry” caterpillar stuffed animal from Eric Carle’s classic children’s book. Addy responded by running to the kitchen with the caterpillar and placing him in the highchair, since he was “hungry!”

Addy is fascinated by the blender, mixer, and anything cooking on the stove or in the oven. She says “HOT HOT HOT,” even if Mommy is making a salad.

Addy is a great bowler with her new bowling set from Kevin, Mary, and Eli Long for Christmas. She will roll the ball nicely AFTER trying to chuck it across the room several times. If she misses any pins, she runs over and knocks them down with a wild fling of her arm.

Addy loves playing with cups in the bathtub. She dumps water from one cup to the other, over her head, and then tries to douse Mommy! She also likes washing up in the bathtub when we squirt soap into her hand.

When Daddy had his shoulder surgery, we had to remind Addy over and over again that Daddy had an “owie” and could not pick her up. When he showed her the bandages, Addy would scrunch up her face in an expression conveying both disgust and fear.

After Christmas, Mommy and Daddy tried to get Addy to color with her new animal crayons on all the thank you cards for a personal touch. She was excited about this task for the first three or four cards but soon lost interest. This resulted in Addy rolling on the floor throwing a tantrum while Mommy and Daddy attempted to wrestle a crayon into her fist and make marks on the remaining cards. Mommy explained that “sometimes we have to do things we do not want to because it is something nice for other people.” Addy was not impressed with Mommy’s speech. Needless to say, some of the coloring on the cards was, as they say in the art world, a “print” rather than an “original!”

Addy loves her Christmas presents. Right now, her favorites are musical Snoopy dog, Little People nativity and airplane, Toes, Ears, and Nose lift-the-flap book, Sophie squeaky giraffe, and the busy ball drop. We like to refer to Snoopy as “Snoop Dog.” Addy forwards through the airplane sounds until the music plays so she can dance.

Addy decided to pull strings out of her monkey hat in the backseat while Mommy was driving. The continuous UH OHs should have been Mommy’s first clue!

Addy likes pretending to put Snoop Dog to sleep in the baby bed by covering his entire face with the blanket and feeding him chicken and ice cream in the baby highchair. All the stuffed animals—Octotunes, ducks, Snoop, reindeer/moose, and Little Lamb—have to watch Addy eat breakfast from their spot on the table or chair. They also go potty, get carried everywhere around the house, and enjoy lots of snuggles.

Mommy told Addy to go ask Eli if he was hungry for lunch. Addy ran over to Eli, lifted up her shirt to show her belly, jabbered something, and then ran back to Mommy signing “EAT.” Meanwhile, Eli just looked at Addy with a very confused expression!

Eli now calls his girl Addy by name—“Aaaaaaad.”

Mommy and Addy ran errands while Daddy was recovering from surgery. The customer service line at the store was very long, but Mommy decided to give it a try. While kneeling by Addy to talk to her, Mommy smelled a full diaper, so she called it a day, and they headed home. Mommy informed Daddy about the very poopy diaper that had brought an early end to the errands and needed immediate changing. Daddy was laughing as Mommy opened the diaper to discover that Addy and Daddy simply share overactive gastrointestinal systems!

One night, Mommy and Addy were having wild exercise time before Daddy got home. When Mommy challenged Addy to run as fast as she could, it was accompanied by a revving motor sound. Addy was also interested in doing squats with Mommy. At first, she pushed her hips and pelvis forward as far as she could trying to imitate the movement. Mommy showed her how to bend her knees. After a couple successful attempts, Addy got tired, laid down on the floor to rest, and refused to attempt any more squats.

Addy loves bagels and will say “uh uh uh” while pointing emphatically at the toaster. After toasting her bagel, she will do the same sound and motion toward the refrigerator, which is her request for cream cheese. She also asks for flakes on many of her foods. In Addy’s world, “flakes” are brewer’s yeast and ground flax meal.

Addy knows she can lead Daddy all over the house by extending her hand requesting his finger. Mommy sometimes complies with her request, but oftentimes Addy is disappointed because Mommy cannot follow her around when the daycare kids are here. After Mommy declined, Addy tried grabbing Eli’s hand and leading him over to the couch, but Eli was a bit reluctant!

Addy is very intrigued by Mommy’s growing belly. When asked where the baby is, she lifts Mommy’s shirt to play with her belly button ring. She also kisses Mommy’s belly when asked to give kisses to the baby.

Addy likes playing with Mommy’s ponytail before naps and bedtime. Laughs are always better than screams in our book!

Addy is very good about alerting us to potential dangers by saying UH OH over and over again or stopping dead in her tracks. One day she found an outlet cover that had been removed and not replaced. She brought it over to us right away. She has also found the baby gate open on the stairway several times (not to mention names…Daddy!), but she stops and points until we come over to close it. Addy is our little safety patrol officer!

Addy figured out she can play Octotunes by sitting on it, so we have renamed him “Octo-butt!”

Addy drives Mommy CRAZY by refusing to keep her hands on her tray during meals. Eventually, they make their way under her bib, in her hair, and on her pants. We should probably have stock in laundry stain remover.

Addy sets six- to eight-piece puzzles by herself.

We have a new bathtime routine as Addy likes to run naked all over the house while Daddy tries to get her into the bathtub. No accidents so far!

Due to overuse of the word UH OH, we have been talking about its appropriate context. When a ball gets stuck under the couch…UH OH. When Addy deliberately throws her sippy cup off the tray…NO NO. Let’s just say the lesson needs some revisions as the response to everything remains UH OH!

Addy knows how to press play on the CD player, adjust the volume, and play with the bass settings. She loves choosing a CD from the stand and trying to put it in by herself. We have listened to “The Little Mermaid,” “Dirty Dancing,” and Aunt Sara and Grandma Gretchen’s Christmas CD over and over and over, as those three seem to be her favorites at the moment.

Mommy and Daddy have perfected their “ice skating” moves on the hardwood floors as we try to avoid the major creaks when we are getting ready for bed.

Mommy and Daddy were marveling over Addy’s persistence as she has been boycotting bedtime recently and trying to skip her second nap. After 50 minutes of crying/screaming/howling that could not be soothed by a drink of water, extra cuddle, or diaper change, Addy finally gave up and went to sleep. We decided she may be a good candidate for the half marathon, as her long-term persistence and determination would be enough to outlast the other runners to the finish!

Addy is very curious about computers and likes to pretend to use the mouse, type, and press random buttons that do crazy things to our screen settings.