Addison… growing up.

After I pulled those images from Baby Addy’s first year… I started looking for images from her past birthdays. I’ve done a decent job blogging each year, so I thought it would be fun to share a few images from each birthday, and then link you to the associated blog post. I was amazed to see how much she changed each year, and couldn’t stop myself from sharing :)

Side note: At the Holritz house, we actually celebrate birthdays for a week! It’s a fun tradition that started the year I turned 21 (by accident) and has continued on in full force, ever since. We love finding unique ways to celebrate :)

Baby Addy turns two… (from our old blog… you’ll notice the branding evolving a bit with these posts, as well:))

Addison changed so much, just in one year. She had transformed from that non-snuggly, screaming baby that I referenced in the first post to this warm, loving, bubbly toddler. One of the cutest things about this year was that she finally grew a bit of hair… adorable curls that lasted only for a season.

Nothing is more fun than a party at Kathy’s! Look how big and proud she is…

Only two years old, and already, she’s her Daddy’s girl. I didn’t even know my heart had capacity to love Nathan more, until Addison arrived and I watched him cherish her. That whole Daddy/Daughter thing is an amazing thing to see.

Baby Addy turns three… (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6)

I held strongly to the believe that my girl was still my baby, even when she turned three… but deep inside, I knew she wasn’t a baby anymore… She was the most grown up (and tallest!) three year old imaginable… She was so affectionate and loving, and it was SO fun having conversations with her. She was already brilliant, and her vocabulary was insane. It was funny to listen to people talk to her, then ask her how old she was, then be completely shocked when she told them she was only three :) (This phenomenon hasn’t stop yet! Just the other day someone asked Addy a random question, and when she didn’t know the answer, he looked confused… He asked her how old she was, and when she answered that she was almost 5, his jaw dropped wide open. He looked at me and said,  ”I thought she was my daughter’s age… My daughter is 8!”)

Not a baby anymore, for sure….

Another birthday celebrated at Kathy’s house :)

Addison’s relationship with Austen has been special from day one… but at this point, they started being slightly more “equal” and had so much fun being together :)

And it was still amazing to watch her relationship with Nathan. When she was two, it was amazing to watch him with her… when she hit three, it became amazing to watch her with him. Her hand on his face here sums up their relationship…

She shared plenty of snuggles with me, too :)

Somedays, I think I live for this smile. It’s one of the most consistent things in my life! I love these three people more than I have any ability to express… (uh-oh. I’ve still got a long way to go with this blogging, and I just hit the stage where anything I type is going to make me cry!)

Addison turns four… (Nathan’s post from her birthday week, my post from her celebration at Kathy’s)

Enter the world of the ridiculously grown up Addy. There’s really not even a trace of “baby” left in her… and although I never thought it could be possible, I enjoyed the 4 year old Addison even more than the toddler. She’s the perfect child for work from home parents. She can entertain herself for hours (although she will make a serious mess in the process), tell stories that make us laugh incessantly, dress herself in the most hysterical (but somehow still doable) outfits, and behave as a perfect little lady when joining us on a business lunch. She has a sweet and sensitive spirit, and will laugh wildly and cry softly…often within the span of seconds. She always wants one last “Addy hug and Addy kiss”… and even though I think it’s really just a delaying tactic to keep us in her room longer at bedtime… I can never resist, “just one more.”

This is possibly my favorite thing to see during birthday week…

Poor Addy suffers from an inability to keep her pants up :)

Seriously, isn’t she the most beautiful grown up girl you’ve ever seen? It’s hard to believe she’s only 4 here… she looks 13!

And yes, her relationship with her brother just gets better and better… This image was completely unprompted.

And she still completely her Daddy’s girl :)

I’m blessed to have these three amazing people in my life…. (and to have Kathy to host all the birthday parties!)

Whew! Made it through four years of Addison’s life… and only cried a tiny bit :) I’m going to sign off here, and start a fresh post for her fifth birthday celebration. It was a fun one!

love,

amber