The terrible twos are called terrible because suddenly your sweet bundle of joy develops an opinion.
Three is just as bad because not only do they still have the opinions, they also suddenly have the desire to do things ALL! BY! THEMSELVES!
Then there’s four (almost five.) Complete with the opinion plus desire to do things ALL! BY! THEMSELVES! only now having the ability to actually start doing things ALL! BY! THEMSELVES! comes into play.
the moosh can do so much.
Calling her the moosh seems so juvenile compared to the real person that spends her days with me. In the past week I have had to get her bigger clothes, no longer can I shop in the toddler section. 5T is a thing of the past. Her feet grew two sizes over the summer which meant bigger shoes and bigger socks. We had to get her a bigger bike, her knees were hitting the handlebars of her old one. She barely fits in her toddler bed. We even had to get her bigger underpants, she’s been without diapers for almost two years.
She’s starting to read. She can write “I love you mom and dad.” She knows what prosciutto is. She knows how to make toast and how to frost a cupcake. She can brush her own teeth and sings along to Hannah Montana. She knows the difference between dark and milk chocolate. Her head comes up to my chest. She no longer fits in shopping carts. She can swing in the big swings all by herself. Last week she washed her own hair during her bath.
She hasn’t fallen asleep in my arms in almost two years.
She has 16 freckles besides the dozens sprinkling her nose.
Her name is Mary Adelaide and she is named after my grandma.
Everyone who loves her dearly (and there’s hundreds) just call her Addie.
There’s nothing baby about my baby anymore.
Except that she will always be my baby.
making unbreakable - formerly moosh in indy. 
Funny, I never thought of the Moosh have an ACTUAL name. She will forever just be the Moosh! But Addie, oh deer sweet Addie, could there be a name more precious and fitting for such a beautiful and charismatic child? I think not.
LikeLike
This post took my breath away! So brave and so wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike
Oh I love her name! I never could imagine what her real name was.
LikeLike
She is SO adorable… and what a perfect name.
And also, if I could borrow her hair… that’d be great.
LikeLike
Love love love love and adore this post!! Bravo!
LikeLike
Oh Casey, she’s grown from and adorable baby to a beautiful young girl. Addie you are beautiful just like her mama. Also could her name be any sweeter?!
LikeLike
Darling! She really is one of the most adorable children I’ve ever seen!
LikeLike
oh, Casey, this is perfect.
LikeLike
Beautiful name for a beautiful girl!
LikeLike
Oh so bitterweet…what’s the saying, the days go by slowly but the years so quickly? I love those curls of hers!
LikeLike
I’m BAWLING!! Why do kids have to grow up so stinkin fast?! She’s gorgeous!
LikeLike
Addie is the perfect name for your very sweet little lady. When we name our babies it’s hard to imagine the people they will grow to be but Mary Adelaide suits the baby and the child.
LikeLike
I think my heart just exploded into a million pieces. “Addie” is perfect; better than any name I could have imagined her having. This one needs to go on your sidebar as a BEAUTIFUL post, with a BEAUTIFUL child and mama to match.
xoxo
LikeLike
Aaaaand, cue me crying! Oh, I love it! Addie. Perfect.
LikeLike
Her name is gorgeous! Never what I imagined it would be but soooo beautiful.
From her pictures she seems to have this amazing energy and I bet she just captivates everyone she comes in contact with. Cherish her, because even if she is your only one, she’s an amazing one to have.
LikeLike
@ashley, consider her cherished. even if i weep occasionally while cherishing.
LikeLike
What a beautiful girl! And that baby pic is breathtaking!
I know how you feel, my baby started kindergarten a few weeks ago.
What do ya’ll call her? Moosh or Addie?
LikeLike
@deej, Cody calls her moosh-o or Addie Paddie. I call her Addie May, or Little Kid. Or sweet pea.
LikeLike
Your little girl is absolutely beautiful! This post almost brought me to tears. So bittersweet. My baby is a “big girl” now according to her. She’s three and hasn’t fallen asleep in my arms in well over a year. They grow so fast.
LikeLike
Ohhhh, I love love love the name Adelaide. And the nickname Addie, so great too!
LikeLike
That’s an absolutely beautiful name!
I thought we’d never learn it 🙂
LikeLike
Huh… It never occurred to me that the Moosh could have a real, actual grown up name (however beautiful it may be) – the Moosh just fits her so perfectly. She may be growing up, but she is (you are) doing a lovely job of it!
LikeLike
@Susie, Thank you. Nice to hear I’m doing okay because frankly insecurities run rampant most days.
LikeLike
@Casey, Insecurities are the name of the Mom Game sister. 🙂 You are raising a very happy little girl.
LikeLike
Love it. So sweet. Nice post.
LikeLike
That got me all choked up girl! Beautiful. As is Addie.
LikeLike
This is an amazing post. I’m teary eyed… The love you have for this adorable child spills across the internets. I love it. Like many have said before, the moosh’s name, Addie is more perfect that I ever imagined! Thank you for sharing all that you do, simply amazing!
LikeLike
I knew she had a real name but she’s The Moosh! Okay, in my head I will call her Addie Moosh. There, that should do it. 🙂 She’s beautiful. But you knew that!
LikeLike
She’s just precious! And coming up to your chest already? Yikes, I wonder where my son will be in 2 more years!
What made you decide to share her real name with us?
LikeLike
@Krista, the moosh is just so little, it’s what we called her when she was tiny. She’s not tiny anymore. Wah.
LikeLike
Awesome post. LOVE the name. My daughter’s name is Abigail (Abby) and I always thought if I had another girl Adelaide (Addy) would be so cool. It fits her to a T.
LikeLike
She will always be your baby. I loved that ending, it was perfect.
LikeLike
Well, the cat is out of the bag now!
She has the prettiest nun-like name ever. 😉
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing, knowing her real name makes reading about her that much more endearing
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing Moosh’s name. I knew she had one but just couldn’t picture her with a name other then Moosh. My daughter is named Mary and she is also named after my grandma. I love reading your blog and I thank you for being so honest and open about your life.
LikeLike
Oh, Addie is one of my all-time favorite names. And being able to tell the difference between dark and milk chocolate means you have to share more, doesn’t it?
LikeLike
I love her name. 🙂 It’s funny how I never really found myself wondering what it was until I’d see something blurred out in her room on a picture or on something she had drawn and “signed.” Other than that, she’s just the Moosh. Addie is an adorable name.
LikeLike
Awwww….. so stinking sweet. I have always wanted to know her name and was going to ask you in July. This is one of my most favorite posts of yours. So sweet.
LikeLike
Hi,
What a grand tribute to your little moosh / Addie. She is adorable.
They grow so fast don’t they. I wish we’d had a blog to chronicle our daughters’ childhoods as they grew. Our girls are 13 & 16. We are trying to catch up a little bit.
I’ve been following you on Twitter since the Indy blogging event that Chris Brogan attended. (Chris gave you a shout out and I thought your tweets were interesting.) I’m a big fan of families, and devoted Moms. I also think photography is really cool, although I’m not very good at it. My wife NetterB (on Twitter) is our resident photographer along with my youngest daughter. and I think I’ve rattled on long enough. Sorry.
Your blog really is terrific!
LikeLike
@Jim Brochowski, Thank you so much. I know she’ll be 16 pretty much tomorrow so I’m trying to make the most of the time before she utters the words “I hate you.” Because I know they’re coming.
LikeLike
Aw, I always wondered what her name was.
LikeLike
Mary Adelaide is a gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl! She has the most beautiful hair that I have ever seen!!
LikeLike
Beautiful!
LikeLike
My grandma’s name was Mary and it’s my 5 year old cousin’s name in her memory.
If possible, I love you more today for letting us into this. And for naming your kid such a kickass name.
LikeLike
@Overflowing Brain (Katie), So her real name is Beatrice Eunice.
Which actually, is kind of awesome…
kidding. Heh.
LikeLike
so i’m a stalker- finally decide to comment because she is soooo cute! her curls are to die for, seriously. and yeah, isn’t it insane how fast they grow???
LikeLike
@kat, I’d rather not think about it. Hurts my head and my heart.
LikeLike
Awwww they grow up waaaay to quickly– thanks a lot for making me do the math about how long it’s been since my “Baby” fell asleep in my arms *sniff sniff*
LikeLike
It is a landmark day! I feel like it’s Addie’s coming of age or something. She’s growing so much, I bet I won’t even recognize her when I see her next! She’s growing into a beautiful little girl (which is of course, bittersweet). Love you two.
LikeLike
@Barb @ getupandplay, That’s kind of what it felt like, I didn’t even mean to out her name but just typing “the moosh” feels so little now.
We’re coming in October and she wants to see her best friend Johnny!
LikeLike
I feel like I’ve just been told an enormous secret. Heh.
Addieinindy.com has a nice ring, but the traffic switchover would be a nightmare.
: )
LikeLike
@Camille, No worries, it will stay moosh. Because she always will be moosh. Just a bigger version.
LikeLike
Ohhhhhh I know, I know!! It is so tragic and incredible all at once.
LikeLike
That was so achingly beautiful. Funnily my husband has always called our baby (now toddler) moosh and I’d never really thought about when it would stop.
LikeLike
You have an amazing way of bringing me to tears. 🙂
LikeLike
So this just isn’t fair. Here I am clinging to the fact that my baby girl is done growing. I mean she is 16 months old today how much bigger could she possibly get. Surely this is it? Right? RIght? And then you go and burst my bubble! I feel like I’ll wake up tomorrow and Danger will have a tattoo and a boyfriend with a motorcycle or something!
LikeLike
@LovingDanger, Yep. She’s only going to get bigger but you’ll be in denial about all of it.
LikeLike
@Casey, Definitely! My youngest is 15, but I tell her that she is only 5. So there!
LikeLike
She is adorable! Those curls rock!!
I remember a year and a half ago when I was watching one of your youtube videos and you called moosh by name. I kept your secret for all of this time. I was so delighted to know her name and now it isn’t a secret anymore. Thanks a lot! 😉
(j/k xoxo)
LikeLike
So adorable.
And she may not end up saying ‘I hate you’, ’cause you seem to have such a rapport that I’m sure it won’t happen. I haven’t heard it yet, and my baby girl is 15, and has started coming into bed for cuddles before getting up for school – anything to delay the getting ready!! (My baby girl is also 3.5″ taller than me, my baby boy is 1/2″ shorter so far.)
LikeLike
Just to set your mind at ease, I never once told my parents that I hated them.
LikeLike
@rabbi’s wife, *phew* there’s hope.
LikeLike
Bittersweet… You spend your days teaching them and encouraging their independance… and then all at once, you find they can do it themselves and part of you misses the past because you know you’ll never get it back. Enjoy every second, hold it in your heart in a box to open when you need to. My girls are grown. I miss those special times so much and it hurts so bad some days, but I brought them up to be themselves, take every opportunity and never have any regrets… they know I love them and I know they’ll always come back to Mum… and they’ll always be my babies, and they know it too 🙂 x
LikeLike
@sandy, WHAAA!!! (but thank you)
LikeLike