My Little 6 month Old

Addelyn turned 6 months old on the 9th! I have no idea where the time has gone since she was born. She just had her 6 month checkup and she's thinning out! She is no longer over the 100th percentile... which I guess is a good thing. Here are her stats:

Weight: 17 lbs 3oz 75th%
Height: 26 3/4 inches 75th%
Head 44 cm 85th%

She is growing up way too fast though. Here are a few of the things she does.

~Army crawls (on her tummy) EVERYWHERE... if we leave anything on the floor it is free game for her little hands. She has loved taking all the bows off the presents under the tree.
~Has also started getting up on her knees a ton!
~Stays sitting for quite awhile on her own.
~Drinks water out of a sippy cup.
~Is eating fruits and veggies.
~Puts herself to sleep at night without crying when I put her in her crib!!! (my favorite) We are still working on naps, but she is getting better.
~Bed time is 8:30 and she sleeps until 7!
~She is such a ham! A little social butterfly... she knows when to smile at people to melt their hearts.
~Loves to talk to her toys and herself.
~Gives the best hugs and kisses ever!
~She's kind of a mommy's girl... which, I don't mind at all!

Addy loves, loves, loves mirrors. Monday night she was having a ball playing with herself in the mirror. We love her so much!!

I LOVE....

This Man!

This Little Girl!

This Family!And these girls!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

We got our Christmas tree last week! I LOVE it! I am so glad that we both agree that we will never have a fake tree in our house. We were hoping to go cut down our own tree, but with Tyler's school schedule it is just too difficult. So, we went to Fred Meyer and got a beauty! It smells sooo good! Luckily, I have a great collection of ornaments from my childhood that helped fill our tree.
My friend, Marissa, and I decided to do a little Christmas craft and make tree-skirts for our trees. It turned out so cute! I am so glad that we decided to do it and that she got it going. We kind of made up the pattern, and luckily it worked out!
Surprisingly, Addelyn has left the tree alone for the most part! Occasionally she will scoot on over and just run her little fingers over the needles. She is more interested in the presents that are under it, than the ornaments.

Many Thanks!

This year we went to Utah to spend Thanksgiving with my family! I loved seeing my family and having the chance to spend time with them! I'm not sure when the next time I see them will be, and that makes me sad. Thanksgiving was full of food, games, family, and fun! I realized after returning home that I need to be better about taking pictures. I don't have much to show for it. However, I do have some cute ones of miss Addy.
Addy and mommy on Thanksgiving day.
Addy sporting Uncle Andrew's In N Out Hat.
Uncle Seth feeding Addy her rice cereal (Tyler also taught him how to change a diaper... so cute!)
The lovely table set for yummy Thanksgiving food!!

Addy at the boys Turkey Bowl... the 2nd years won!

Another Month Gone!

This is a little overdue... but 5 months already! Seriously? I have no idea where the time has gone. This little girl is growing so fast! We took her in to the doctor on the 7th of November and she weighed 16 lbs 14 oz! Which means that in 22 days she gained 14 oz. I have no idea how she is adding to her weight... oh wait, maybe it's the fact that she eats almost allll day long! haha
~She loves her rice cereal! When I feed her she always dives for the spoon and I cannot get the next spoonful in her mouth quick enough. She is eating more and more of it.
~Addy loves to give kisses! They are the sweet open mouth kisses... but surprisingly not slobbery! I love, love, love them!
~She has started reaching for ME! One of the best feelings!
~Addy is now a champion roller. She rolls EVERYWHERE! Before, I couldn't wait for her to roll over... now I am wishing she would have waited a little longer. haha
~She loves to stand. At work we have a toy that she holds onto and plays with while standing there on her own. (I sit behind her of course, just in case.)
~Addelyn is a social butterfly! She smiles at everyone! If someone is talking she will smile at them! (they don't even have to be looking at her or talking to her specifically.)
She is changing sooo quickly, I cannot believe it. I love being a mom and am so glad that she is such a good, chill baby!

Dipping Chocolates

Tyler's grandma has been dipping chocolates for over 50 years! This weekend his mom and sister came into town to spend a weekend up to their elbows in chocolate! It's nice for us that Grandma Oldroyd and Aunt Jan live close, so we were able to join in the fun. We had blast! I learned how to dip and think I am getting better at it! It was Tess' first time as well. Someone has to carry on the tradition!
We made sooo many chocolates! I will try to list them... but am sure I will forget something.

~Chocolate covered caramels
~Chocolate covered gummi bears
~Mint Patties (kind of like Yorks)
~Almond Rocha
~Chocolate covered cherries
~Peanut butter balls... kind of like Reeses (my fav.)
~Peanut Brittle
~Cashew Clusters

Beee Happy!

Happy Halloween! This year for Halloween we decided to go out in our costumes. We went bowling with a bunch of friends and then out to eat. We had a blast! Addy and I were bees (Addy was way cuter... of course) and Tyler was a bee keeper!


Our little bumblebee was so cute! Her costume even had a little stinger!

Yummy Yummy in Her Tummy

Addelyn had her first round of "solid" foods Monday night! We started her on rice cereal. I think she liked it. I was surprised at how much of it she actually ate! Here's hoping that she won't eat every 2 hours with this added sustenance.


It's so fun to watch her try new things. Here are some photos of her eating. So cute!
And here's a random photo taken the other night. She's wearing her cute sunglasses from her Auntie Lindsey!

New Trick

Addelyn learned to roll from back to tummy today! Once she did it one time she did it over and over like she had done it all the time! She's an all-star! However, she does get a little frustrated because she does not especially like being on her tummy and still does not like rolling from her tummy to back very much... even though she learned how a few months ago. Maybe this will help her learn to like it! My baby Addy is growing so fast! It's so fun to watch her learn new things!

What Happens in Vegas...

is happy times! My younger sister, Jenna, got married on Friday in Las Vegas! She married Josiah Volden. I am so glad that we were able to share in this exciting event in their lives. They picked a lovely outside spot to be married. The weather was beautiful and they had family and friends with them... what more could they ask for? Welcome to our crazy family Joe!
It was a whilrwind weekend, but I'm glad that we were able to go!

Over the 100th Percentile!

Addelyn had her 4 month doctor appointment on Friday. She is a healthy little girl! Addy did pretty well with her shots. She absolutely loved the oral one and quickly made friends with the nurse. With the first shot came evil eyes directed towards the nurse, and with the second a mad scream! As soon as I picked her up she was fine. I don't think she liked the idea of the nurse giving her something good to eat and then pricking her. Poor thing. Here are the little girl's stats:

Weight: 16 lbs 90th percentile
Height: 26 3/4 inches over 100th percentile
Head: 42 cm 75th percentile














Conked out after her doctor appointment.
She sure is growing up so fast! Some of her favorites are:

talking to herself
blowing raspberries
sticking her tounge out
talking to her toys
arching her back
grabbing for faces (and Daddy's glasses)
putting everything in her mouth
she loves to smile for people and show off

How We Met

I've had a request to put "our story" up for those that don't know it.

Tyler and I both attended Brigham Young University.In Fall of 2006 Tyler moved close to me and we attended the same ward at church. At this time I was engaged to be married, so I was not on the market and therefore Tyler knew I was off limits. However, things went south and my engagement was ended. Tyler was in my Family Home Evening Group and had heard the news. We started talking because we had something in common... the same birthday (crazy, I know). After a little while we became acquaintances. Tyler needed a date and thought he should ask me because he had fun with me and I was a "safe date" since I had just gotten out of a serious relationship. Little did he know that after a few dates he would start to like me. :) I was a little apprehensive because of my previous experience. I actually broke up with Tyler once, which lasted for a week. We talked and I told him I was scared and apprehensive and he told me "I would rather be there for you and help you get through it, than not be with you at all". Awwww. It basically melted my heart. I agreed. We did a long distance relationship over the summer while he was doing an internship. He took me to his family reunion in Sun River, OR and it was that week that I knew that I loved him and that I wanted to marry him. I also fell in love with his family and couldn't have better in-laws! After lots of discussion and prayer we decided to get married. We got engaged on November 10, 2007 and married on February 16, 2008.
I am so glad that things worked out the way they did for me. I think Tyler is an amazing man and I am so lucky to have him by my side for eternity! I love you babe!

What's Plumper than a Pumpkin?

Halloween is right around the corner and what better way to prepare than by going to the Plumper Pumpkin Patch?! We had a great time finding our perfect pumpkins, walking around with friends, getting lost in the huge corn maze (yeah right), taking pictures, and launching pumpkins at a car. Tyler actually won a free drink because he hit the car! I'm so proud! :) It was perfect weather and a great outdoor activity.

Is there a better way to enjoy conference weekend than...

being in Sunriver, with friends, and cuddling while it's snowing outside? I think not! Every 6 months our church holds a conference that is broadcasted around the world. Click here to find out more! We decided that it would be fun to get out of Portland for the weekend with some friends. Tyler's family has a house down in Sunriver that we were lucky enough to be able to use.

On the way there we enjoyed a beautiful full rainbow! It was "a bright rainbow"! And Addy slept the whole way... of course!
We were able to enjoy Mavericks while we were there and had a blast! Addy and her friend Alexa had matching suits that we found at Wal-Mart for $2 because they forgot theirs! So cute!
Mostly we just hung out and had a nice chance to eat, play games, and relax with our friends!

And THIS . . .is what we woke up to Sunday morning! It was beautiful! It continued to snow for almost the remainder of the day, but luckily Sunriver was the place that got hit the worst and the drive home was fine!

Such Sweet Sounds!

Addy laughed for the first time tonight and we were lucky enough to get it on camera! Such a sweet little girl!

Pigtails, BYU, and Sunday Best!

These are just a few pictures of Addy that we have taken lately. I started putting her hair in pigtails and she looks so grown up! Her hair is quite the sight when the pigtails come out after the day is over.
She loves watching the BYU games with her daddy!




























Tyler says she looks like an old church spinster with her little sweater on. I think she looks adorable!

My First Day

I started a job yesterday! It feels good to be more active in the morning and actually have a reason to leave the house. I am working at the "J" aka Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC) here in Portland. It is about a 3 minute drive from my house. It is the perfect job for me! I am working at a drop off daycare for 3 hours (from 8:15-11:15 am) Monday through Thursday. Just 12 hours a week. I am able to take Addy and she has been a doll so far! She will play when we first get there, then sleep, then eat, and then play some more. I think it will be more fun for her when she gets older so she can have some friends to interact with and such. My good friend Marissa got me the job and I am so grateful for that! I work with Marissa and Malorie (both their husbands are dental students as well, and we have become good friends over the past year). I feel so blessed to have this job. We have been praying for something that I am able to do so that I can be there for Addy and not have to leave her at a day care while I work.
With the job comes a free membership to the MJCC... so Tyler and I are able to go work out for free! I hope that once we get into a good routine in the fall that we will be able to take full advantage of this. They also of a climbing wall there and Tyler is so excited because he has his own shoes and would love to go! I'm excited for him. The J also offers free classes if you are a member, so us girls might just start going to a kickboxing class. I think it would be fun and a
great workout!














Addy has learned to hold her bottle! How cute! This is her hanging out at the "J" having a mid morning snack. All of the kids are so interested in Addy because she is a baby. They are learning to "be gentle" with her.

3 Month Old Baby Girl!

Addelyn has changed so much this past month! I cannot believe that she is already 3 months old. The time is going by so fast! I am amazed by how much of a person she is becoming and of her little attitude. Here are the updates:

~She is sleeping through the night! She started this last Sunday night... she will sleep anywhere from 8:30-10 pm until at least 7 am... if not longer! I am loving it!
~Addy rolled over for the first time on the 20th of August! I have not been able to get it on video yet because she does not want to do it for the camera... of course! But, she does it quite often now.
~She finally enjoys tummy time! She can hold her head up really well and will be content for awhile.
~Addelyn has started rubbing her eyes when she is tired. I think this is pretty cute and it helps us know when she is getting tired.
~She is definitely getting an attitude! When she is hungry she gives a couple warning cries... if I don't feed her within her small time frame she will scream until she gets it. She screams loud and makes herself hoarse from screaming. Pretty pitiful.
~She can sit up really well in her bumbo. She has learned to hold her head... but she is still a right leaner. We need to keep working on getting her to lean to the left.
~Addy is definitely a smily little girl. She will smile for strangers when they talk to her and smile. She is also a little talker. When we talk to her she talks and smiles back. It's so fun!
~Whenever she nurses she has a burp rag by her face and she holds onto my shirt. I think it is a comfort thing for her. Now... when she is tired or fussy she like to hold on to her burp rag and keep it close to her face. It is pretty adorable.
~I know you are all dying to know that she is now a regular pooper! haha

We are having so much fun being parents. It is getting more and more fun now that she is getting more interactive everyday. It amazes us how fast she is growing. We love this girl so much!

Bi-Annual Bendixsen Family Reunion

We had our first bi-annual Bendixsen family reunion in Sunriver, OR. It was so great to see Tyler's siblings that we hadn't see in forever and just hang out as a family. I married into a great family and love them all so much!
While we were there we did a lot of eating, playing games, family activities, golfing (the boys did), walking, and talking. Mom and Dad had everyone do a devotional a morning that we were there. I will admit that I wasn't very fond of the idea at first, and I don't think any of us were, but it turned out to be my favorite part of the day. Everyone shared such great thoughts and it put our day to a start on the right foot.
Some of the activities that we enjoyed were: water balloon volleyball, whack-a-cracker, putt-putt golf, and frisbee golf.






Thanks for a great vacation mom and dad! We had a blast!

Utah Vacation

We were able to go to Utah for a week to visit my family during Tyler's 6-week break! I'm so glad that we were able to make it. My whole family was together again... which hasn't happened since our wedding 1 and 1/2 years ago. Crazy! My grandparents also came all the way from Georgia. We loved being able to see everyone and having Addy meet some of the family that she hasn't yet met. She loved her aunts, second cousins, and great-grandparents.
While we were there we played some games, ate, hiked to Timp Caves, hiked Bridal Veil Falls, took family pictures, and visited with family and friends. It was so nice to be able to go out and do active things with the family! I like that they live in Utah now.
Thanks Mom and Dad for such a great time at home! We really enjoyed it and I am ready to come back again already! Love you all so much!

We Have a Little Chunk on Our Hands!

Addelyn had her 2 month doctor appointment yesterday. She weighs a whopping 14 lbs and 1 oz! And she is 25 inches long. These combined put her in the 95th %ile. She has so many fat rolls and she's just too cute!
Addy is getting so much more interactive. She smiles lots and talks back to us. It's pretty darn cute! One of my favorite things is when I get up in the night or morning to feed her I turn on the hall light and she instantly stops crying. When I go to pick her up from her crib she gives me a big smile. It just melts my heart. I guess there are some positive things about getting up at 5:30 to feed her.
On Saturday night Addy slept from 11pm to 9:30am! Amazing! I was actually awake before she was, which never happens! I need to find out what I did that made her sleep that long and keep doing it!
Addy definitely has a favorite toy! She will spend hours on this playmat that I got off craigslist for $10! New these things are like $65, so I was so happy when I found it. I didn't think that she would love it as much as she does, but she really loves it. I was surprised when she would swat at the little toys then smile and talk... I thought she might be too young still, but she's getting so big! Addelyn is also starting to love looking in the mirror at herself. Another thing that she is learning to like is her bumbo (it's a soft chair that helps them sit up). I can put her in it on the counter when I do the dishes and get ready in the morning and she just watches me. She also loves her swing more and more. I am glad that she will entertain herself for awhile so I can get some things done during the day.
She is such a good baby and I love her to pieces!

Hermi Town Rodeo

Friday was Tyler's last day of school for six whole weeks! We are so excited to have him home with us! We celebrated by taking a trip to Hermiston, with our good friends the Smiths, for the famous Pro Circuit Rodeo. We had a blast!
Saturday morning was a cutest baby contest at the fair... of course we had to enter Miss Addelyn. There were about 130 babies there from Umatilla County. Addy was one of 15 finalists out of the 130+ babies. She got a cute pair of sunglasses for a prize. She was so good and cute for the judges! The men were out golfing during this activity. :)After a nap and some relaxing at home we headed back to the fair! We rode a few rides and looked at the neat things! We had some delicious fair food including: deep fried cinnamon rolls (sooo good!), frozen strawberry lemonade, elephant ears, and kettle corn! Yum!
We had such a great weekend and were so glad that the Smiths were able to join in the fun! Tyler's parents absolutely loved Spencer! What's not to love about this face?!


















And they of course loved having their granddaughter around. She was all smiles and talk for them... some of the time! Again... what's not to love about this face?! (This was Addy after she had her hair in a pony tail all day! ... nice faux hawk!)


















Thanks Mom and Dad for being such great hosts and hanging out with us!

My Baby Girl is Two Months Old!

I can't believe that Addy is now 2 months old, as of yesterday! The time has gone SO extremely fast. It seems to go 5 times as fast now that I am not pregnant and have a new baby. I love being able to stay home with Addelyn. She is so fun to watch and talk to. Addy has grown and learned so much in these past two months. She is good at holding her head up, using her leg muscles to stand on my lap, smiling, kicking her legs, and talking. Her favorite thing is definitely still sleeping! She is actually starting to really like her swing! She will stay in it longer than just a 1/2 hour now. On Saturday she was awake maybe a total of 2 hours in 24 hours time. Silly girl! Addy has also started sleeping longer at night!! The past two nights she has slept for 7 1/2 hours or more. I am so glad. I just hope it's not a phase and she decides to keep it up.
Here are a few videos that I took the other night of her being oh so cute! I am so excited for our families to see her in these next couple of weeks!




Some mornings Tyler gets Addy up while he is getting ready for school so I can sleep a little bit longer. I love that he does this! A lot of times she will smile and talk to him like she does in this video. When he brings her to me, so he can leave for school, he has the hardest time leaving his little girl! It is pretty cute how he says he just wants to stay home with her! He is such a good daddy and his little girl loves him so much!

Oregon=U-Pick Farms

Saturday could have been extremely boring as Tyler went up to the school at 9 am. However, a few of us wives, of diligent dental student husbands, decided to take this opportunity to pick some fresh berries! Yummy!! We drove out to Hillsboro to a U-Pick Farm that is 99 cents a pound for all their berries. Can't beat that price! It is blueberry season and there was a plethora even though we saw several people with a million buckets full. I got a half a bucket... but now I'm wishing I would have picked more. It was just kind of hard with Addy on my front. We ate a few raspberries that were still left... but there weren't quite enough to pick and keep for a purpose other than eating.

















We had a great time picking berries with our friends and Addelyn was just as good as ever. Slept the whole time of course!
On our back from picking berries we stopped and got lunch for our husbands and took it up to the school so we could eat with them. I think appreciated it and it was fun to see them and give them a break from their crowns.

Addy's Quirks

Addy has many quirks about her. I never thought that someone so tiny and new to this world could have such a personality! She is so fun to watch, learn from, and play with. She has started smiling, however when I try to get a picture of it she immediately stops and proceeds when I have given up. She's a little stinker. Addy has also started cooing! She doesn't do it too often yet, but we have heard her a couple times.
This is the tail end of a smile that I managed to get!








The little quirks that Addy has:
~When she sneezes it's at least twice and usually she does a cute little sigh afterward.
~She only poops about every 5 days. (not a cute one)
~When she tries to poop in the meantime her face turns red, she straightens her legs out, grunts and screams. It's pretty cute.
~She goes cross eyed when she looks at me.












~She sleeps the best when she sleeps on her tummy... not so good. When I put her on her tummy for her "tummy time" she almost always falls asleep!
~She pulls her hair until it hurts and then screams.
~Sometimes when she is asleep she opens her eyes and makes funny faces.