The Anderson Family

Time to Catch Up

2009-10-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

A lot has been happening in the Anderson household.... but it has been difficult to blog since we are staying with friends and have limited access to all of our things. I promise I will get better when we move into the new house. (which should be in January) We have a framed house with windows and a roof... things are moving along.

I don't have my cable to upload pictures. We have had several big events that I would love to update you on but I will just leave you with this video and catch you up on the kids later. Avery is almost 14 months and running everywhere. Parker is 3 1/2 and loving school! I have pics of Avery's birthday party for another day. I will leave you with this....

Video we made for Avery's first birthday party

Moving on up!

2009-07-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry we haven't been updating the blog much lately. Things have been a bit busy around here. We got a contract on our house about 10 days ago and they want us out by Friday...whew! It has been a whirlwind around here! We are building in Frisco and should be moved into our new home around Christmas or early January. (we hope) So...the blog will probably be on a hiatus for a while. All non-essential things are being put into storage and we are moving in with our good friends Angie and Eugene. By the time I write again, Avery will have turned one year old. Crazy how fast she has grown. Seems to have flown by even faster than Parker's first year. Jared also got a big promotion at work, just in time for the big move. I am so proud of him! We are truly blessed and grateful for the wonderfully crazy life we are living.

No vacation here!

2009-06-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Avery is giving me a round of applause for finally sitting down to update the blog. So get ready, it's long! No vacations in our house this summer. Staycation! We have decided to put our house on the market and build our dream home. Cross your fingers with us for it to sell! I guess that's why it's a month between posts. I spend all my free time working and cleaning... and chasing two little ones! So, here is my attempt to catch you up on our summer.

My grandmother passed away, the week after Mother's Day and will be dearly missed. Parker keeps saying he wants to "go to Heaven to see Mimi and Jesus." I told him he's not allowed to go until long after I am gone, but so sweet! Here she is meeting him for the first time.

Parker misses school but has started swim lessons. He was such a little fish. He loved going every day. Mommy got a bit tired by day 8!

Parker is so grown up that we have added some chores to his list. He is responsible for mowing the yard and watering the flowers. :)

We had a wonderful visit with out nieces, Hannah and Micaela. Micaela was not in this picture though.

Avery is crawling... EVERYWHERE and getting into EVERYTHING! She wants to do everything that big brother is doing and eat everything that big brother is eating. She is certainly going to be our mischievous child!

That grin cracks me up! She had just finished putting half the food in her mouth and half on my wood floors.

She loves to play hide and seek with Parker. This is her "you found me" face!

She is pulling to standing in her bed. She is almost able to do it on furniture too. Love those butts!

Here she is crawling. Hard to get the fast action shot, but she is quick!

Father's Day came and went without a huge celebration. My dad is in Bali on a mission trip. Jared's dad is in Florida. So, I made Jared breakfast, gave him presents and took him to the movies for a date. Even though we didn't do a lot that day... let me just tell you how much I love this man. Jared is the best dad! He wants to be home with his kids as much as possible, he loves to read bedtime stories, he melts for his daughter's grins, and he sets a good example of the kind of man I want Parker to be and the kind of man I want Avery to marry! We love our daddy!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day was doubly special as we had Avery's baby dedication the same day. Parker and Jared gave me a wonderful basket filled with my favorite things before we headed to church for the baby dedication (notice my new necklace). Parker enjoyed saying "Happy Mother's Day" to anyone that looked like a mother.

Avery seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight. She was full of smile for Pastor Kim Hall, the wonderful man that married us. Parker loved that Avery's picture was on the jumbo-tron. He REALLY wanted the microphone and loved that he was making people laugh. I know we promised to raise Avery in a Christian home, but other than that, I can't recall what was being said because Parker was being such a ham.

He obviously did not get the memo that today was about Avery and Mommy.

Avery did look like a little princess. And before you ask... this dress was from Sam's Club, that's right. The $16.00 find of the century. She looked just beautiful.

Birthday Party at the Zoo

2009-05-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Parker had a blast at his third birthday party at the Dallas Zoo. He played with cute girls, got to ride in a wagon, got to pet a snake and so much more! We are way behind on postings so here's few pics of the day. I promise to try to get caught up soon!

He's growing up so fast. So far I am thinking the three's are going to be much more tumultuous than the two's. We have had much more defiance and testing of boundaries lately. He is funnier than ever but with that sense of humor comes some not so funny opinions as well. We are taking it one day at a time :)

Happy 3rd Birthday Parker!

2009-04-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Parker-

Your Dad and I marvel at the fact that you have been with us for three whole years. The time has flown by amazingly fast. It seems like just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital. We love you so much and are so proud of the little man you are becoming.

We hope you enjoyed your third birthday as you celebrated at school with your friends. I have never heard you talk so fast! When I picked you up today, you told me that you were the Birthday Boy, that you got to pet the animals in the petting zoo, that you colored with chalk, that you played with Nana, that you got a Spider Man toy, and most importantly.... that this was "the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!" (and that was all in one breath)

I can't wait to see you at your real birthday party this weekend.

You are a joy and a blessing from God.

I love you!

Mommy

Easter '09

2009-04-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday has always been a special day in my household. We celebrate that our redeemer lives! Easter is doubly blessed for Jared and I as it was the day our sweet Parker Alan was born....granted the date always changes, but he was our Easter miracle in 2006. He still brings us so much joy.

Last year he hunted the eggs, but didn't care very much about the contents. This year, he knew the contents were candy...so he held on to each egg. He didn't let one drop :)

We were blessed to have Avery Elizabeth to celebrate Easter with us this year. She brings so much joy to our lives. As you can see...she smiles from ear to ear when she sees us. She smiles at strangers as well...just as long as they don't touch her. She has been struggling with some major separation anxiety. So much so, that this Sunday when we left her in the nursery at church, she cried hard enough to burst a small blood vessel in her eye! Poor baby wants nothing to do with anyone other than her Mommy, Daddy or Uma. Any suggestions on how to help her with this would be greatly appreciated. It breaks our hearts that other people don't get to see this fun loving smile when we aren't around.

Parker was serious about his egg hunting and face painting at the church party this year. He is becoming so fiercely independent. I remember when he had separation anxiety and couldn't leave our side...now we have a hard time keeping him close enough to keep an eye on him!

Happy Easter everyone!

Dallas Blooms 2009

2009-03-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time in a land far away, a boy and a girl fell in love.

They stopped to smell the roses (or tulips) along their way.

They frolicked in waterfalls.

They loved a lot.

They laughed often.

They enjoyed the small things.

Especially those two small things.

And hopefully they taught their little ones to enjoy life and stop to smell the roses as well.

I LOVE my sweet family!

BIG weekend with BIG events

2009-03-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have enjoyed spring break, vacations, and rest, but not this family. We worked, played and were quite productive this week. (we need a vacation soon though!) I thought I would share with you our biggest accomplishments from the last week.

Avery learned to read...

She is so smart... she just devours her books!

Avery has progressed straight from baby foods to corn dogs.

As you can see she is quite proud of her accomplishments now that she sits completely by herself. It makes it much easier to reach over and steal food, toys, and wreak havoc on her brother.

And the biggest accomplishment of all... after two short weeks in pull ups....drumroll please..... Parker is now wearing big boy underwear! He is going to HATE me for this post one day, but I can't resist. I am so proud of my big boy and he is so proud of himself as you can see from his crazy antics below.

The best part of this is, maybe I can quit buying ridiculous character clothing for him now that he has the power of "UnderRoos" to appease his need for cartoon character branding on his body.

The worst part is definitely dealing with the public bathrooms. He wants to play with the nastiest things and it is so hard to make the pee-pee land in the potty while holding him precariously on the ledge of the seat.

Parker's joy probably stems from the fact that I act as though we have just won the lottery every time he goes. (Maybe we did... we just got back $40 a month) He has begun singing after every pee-pee and poo-poo "I did , I did it! Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. No diapers anymore!" I love that every major thing he does has a song attached to it. I can get this kid to do anything through singing. I am not looking forward to the day that he realizes I am the worst singer on the planet.

I love the Zoolander pose and face he has going on in the last picture. He is certainly Jared's son!

The Toddler's Creed

2009-03-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

So I have noticed that I am obsessed with taking pictures of the kids. It is as though Jared and I don't exist anymore. I used to love having pictures of me and Jared together in different places and now we seem to have been banished to the spot behind the lens for eternity! But how can I resist snapping away at my little cherub cheeked babies!

I think Parker has gotten over wanting to return Avery to the hospital. This week he wants to kiss and hug her constantly. He is not a big fan of sharing his toys, but is otherwise very sweet these days.

In this picture he is trying to steal her toy...of course he doesn't really want it, but darn it....Avery can't have fun with it. It really cracks me up. See the hilarious poem below that pretty much sums up life in our house these days!

The "Toddler's Creed" appeared in the syndicated weekly newspaper article "Families Today" by T. Berry Brazelton. It is a nice reminder of the stresses we feel with normal behavior of toddlers. Enjoy.

If I want it, it's mine.
If I give it to you and change my mind later, it's mine.
If I can take it away from you, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If it's mine, it will never belong to anybody else, no matter what.
If we are building something together, all the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

Sometimes I feel the same way. Those cheeks are mine! Those tiny toes are mine! Those belly laughs are all mine! I just want to bottle them up at each stage in their life so I can open it and enjoy it later. I guess this blog will be my bottle :)

Had to include a few pics from this weekend as well. We went to see some family in Waxahachie this weekend and got some pics of my sweet girlfriend Angie with her newborn, Bailey Rae.

And Uma ended up getting a picture taken too. She is like the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot...it is very rare that she is captured on film!

We are still here!

2009-03-03T14:34:00.001-08:00

*** Update from Avery's Doctor Visit:

16lb, 12 oz- 50-75%

25 1/2 in- 50 %

Head circumference 75%

100% healthy and adorable

No one told me how hard it would be to keep up with a blog now that I have two kids under the age of three! I am trying to update more often, but it never seems to happen. I meant to update last night but got sucked into the three hour Bachelor drama! Did anyone else think they were watching Jerry Springer?

Everyone has been asking what Avery is up to these days. She turned six months old on Sunday, and it is absolutely impossible to describe how much faster this six months has been than Parker's first six months! She is growing up in the blink of an eye.

So, what is new with her? She has graduated from the infant seat to a convertible car seat and floppy seat at restaurants. She is sitting up for about 5 minutes at a time without falling over. She is holding her own bottle. She is drooling so much that her little cheeks are chapped. She is interacting and actually playing with Parker, which is so cute! She smiles so much that it must make her cheeks hurt. She is sleeping a little better at night. Mostly she is anxiously awaiting the arrival of two pesky teeth on bottom that are giving her fits. We'll see how big she is at her doctor appointment tomorrow.

How is Parker? He got to see Bob the Builder last weekend, which he loved. He is starting to realize that Avery is not visiting but here to stay. He doesn't like her being fussy and the other night he told Jared "I don't like my baby sister anymore. Can you take her back to the hospital?" So needless to say he's been getting a little more attention. Poor guy!

Dada's face at intermission pretty much sums up how the parents all felt at Bob the Builder.

Thankfully Parker has really fun aunts to entertain him lately since Mom and Dad get a little tied up with Avery from time to time.

Boys will Be Boys

2009-02-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

This has been a fun month watching Parker's boyish charm emerge. Last week at school he got his very first kiss from a girl named Sydney and he's decided he likes kisses from girls....despite Grandma's pleas to avoid those kissing girls. He has also discovered the joy of cars, trucks, trains, and anything that looks like a vehicle.

He loves his new yellow truck and his Harley Davidson power wheels. I think he looks pretty darn cute in his Lightning McQueen helmet, but I'm not sure it was appropriate attire for the dinner table.

Man I love my boys!

Future Truck Driver?

2009-02-05T18:19:00.001-08:00

He can pump his own gas.....

He can carry your load of precious cargo...

He can entertain his passengers...

and at the end of the day, he will sit on the tailgate and have a little snack before he hits the road again!

Thanks Nana for the new toy!

Long over due update

2009-01-28T14:06:00.001-08:00

So I am way behind on my blogging! Avery is 5 months old today and I still haven't posted her 4 month stats.

She is still perfectly healthy and eating like a champ. Sleeping is another story :(. She is a total Momma's girl. She smiles away at people until they hold her and then she screams for me to take her back. Poor baby!

At her 4 month well check she weighed 15 pounds 3 ounces, and was in the 50-75th percentile in height and weight. Much like her brother her head circumference was 75-99th percentile.

She is eating rice cereal now and attacks the spoon, just as she attacks the bottle or breast like she's being starved to death. She has actually started squealing with delight when she sees me or the bottle and knows she is about to be fed. This picture is terrible and orange but too funny because this is how she always smiles. She sticks her tongue out of one side of her mouth and grins from ear to ear.

She has begun laughing out loud, but that is reserved only for the really special people in the house... the dog and her brother. No laughs for momma or dada. She makes us feels like complete goof balls trying to get her to laugh and she just stares at us like we are complete morons. Her favorite toy is this Rainforest Jumper (thanks Morgan and JP)

Parker is doing great! He is growing like a week... vertically that is. He may finally grow into that belly and head of his :) He loves to makes Avery laugh.

Jared and I have been crazy busy giving our bedroom and bathroom a romantic makeover. (there's my excuse for lack of posts) This project has been a complete beat down but we are so in love with the results. Have I mentioned how handy Jared is? No need to ever pay a painter, carpenter, electrician, mechanic or plumber around here. He does it all. (I know, sexy right?)

I will try to be better at updating now...promise!

Red Raider Fans

2009-01-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

Well, this was the best season of Red Raider football that I can recall in our school's history. It didn't turn out the way we all had hoped, but we were having a blast watching college ball this year. We had awesome 50 yard line seats for the Cottonbowl... too bad our team didn't decide to give us our money's worth. (or I guess they did since we paid $0 for the tickets)

So long for this season....looking forward to next year!

Four Months Old!

2009-01-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

Avery is four months old... at least she turned four months old 5 days ago. I am crazy busy remodeling with the hubby, chasing two kids, and working so this one is a little late.

I wish everyone could know Avery like we know Avery. She is the happiest baby on the block for sure! She smiles at us all day... even when she's tired she cries, sees my face and smiles, cries, smiles some more until she finally falls asleep. She plays hard! I mean, she really explores her environment, rattles things, kicks like a soccer star, stands, jumps, rolls, and tries her hardest to sit. She is trying her best to make up for Parker's slow gross motor development. She coos, gurgles, razzes and barely laughs. I try my best but only get tiny laughs... no belly laughs yet, but I bet they are coming.

I can't get over how much she loves to be talked to, mostly by Parker though.

Can you believe God blessed us with such wonderful children? To be blessed twice, so richly is astounding.

Gotta run and kiss those chubby cherub cheeks!

Christmas Catch Up

2008-12-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

Little Angels!

What a wonderful Christmas this was for Jared and I! Watching Christmas through Parker's eyes was a blessing this year. He had sooo much fun. He doesn't want it to end though. He keeps saying Merry Christmas Mama!

The week of festivities began with his cousin Micaela coming to town for a gift exchange. This is my favorite picture of Parker...ever! Love that little pose he is doing with his cousins.

Then we had our annual Christmas Vacation watching party with the Bofferding's and Spitzenberger's.... fun!

Parker and Brady made gingerbread houses one night. It was just as much fun for me and Jared because we had never made one before either.

Jared's family celebrates on Christmas Eve, so we had the whole gang at our house that night.

Hugs from Brady... I asked Parker if Brady was his best friend and he said, "No, Mama. He's not my best friend, he's my cousin!" Too smart for me.

Christmas Day we spent at my parent's house, after spending some time playing with Santa's toys. Santa brought Parker an art desk and Avery got the Rainforest Bouncer.

I obviously did not take enough pictures Christmas Day. I need my family to email me some please! Too hectic for the camera, I guess.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Our family wishes you and your a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Photos by Emily Mulkey Photography

Parker and his cousins Brady and Micaela

No Word Wednesday

2008-12-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Pictures with Santa

2008-12-08T11:46:00.001-08:00

Well, Parker was not a fan of Santa this year! He was so excited to go see Santa, and is excited about Christmas, but sitting in a strange man's lap is another story. I figured his "stranger danger" might be a problem this year so I decided to be sneaky. Parker is obsessed with trains this year, can you tell from the pictures below?

So I figured the Polar Express exhibit at Willow Bend would lead to some great Santa pictures. But NO! Parker turned to tears and told every employee there "Don't Touch Me!!" He made his wishes quite clear... they better stay back or beware the two year old temper tantrum. So you will not see cute pictures of my two children together on Santa's lap this year :(

Having fun!

Still fun!

I like the trains!

Did you say sit in that strange man's lap? Ain't gonna happen Mom!

Vaccinations

2008-12-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Avery went to get her second dose of her 2 month shots this week. She got her polio vaccine and her vaccine to protect against bacterial meningitis. She was a champ. She was all smiles by the time we got home. All this controversy over vaccines has got me thinking about how lucky we are to have the option to protect our children from these deadly diseases. (I think Avery looks like a poster child for vaccination in this picture... not phased a bit by her shots)

My mimi- pictured below- contracted polio at the age of two. She had a pretty severe case that left her mostly paralyzed from her waist down. She walked with the aide of knee-ankle-foot-orthoses and crutches for most of her life. She is dependent on a wheelchair now due to a bad fall that broke both her legs. But I can only imagine how traumatic it must have been for my great-grandparents to send their young daughter to get care in another state at the Shriner's hospital, while they helplessly waited for her to get better.

Today, we debate over the safety of vaccines and whether our children need all of them... but it is truly a wonderful gift to be able to protect our children from some of these awful diseases.

It is a personal decision, I know, but we have chosen to give our children all their vaccines at the recommended ages. We have just chosen an alternative schedule to give one live vaccine and one dead vaccine at a time. It makes it a little more inconvenient for me to take them to the doctor more often, but I feel better knowing that they are getting all their shots in a way that is less likely to harm them.

I just want to say to all the polio survivors still living... you are truly amazing people. Polio survivors are a unique group... I have never seen people more determined, independent and tough. I never heard my Mimi complain about her disability. She was determined to be independent and do things on her own as long as she possibly could. I pray for her everyday now because I know that her life is a lot tougher now that her independence has been taken away.

I was proud to give Avery her polio vaccine and prouder still of my Mimi who survived polio!

We have so much to be thankful for!

2008-12-01T11:44:00.001-08:00

We are so thankful for our beautiful children this Thanksgiving. I give thanks everyday that they are healthy. Parker loved playing in the leaves with Aunt Brookie on Thanksgiving Day.

I am thankful for my handsome husband. He is the best father I know! That is saying a lot because I have an amazing father as well. I think we all hope to be even better parents than our own, but that is a lot to live up to in my case, seeing as my parents are pretty awesome! Jared works so hard every day and comes home full of energy to share with the kids. He goes above and beyond to make sure Parker and Avery are well cared for every day.

Papa and Parker getting all decorated!

I am thankful for four generations of women at our house this Thanksgiving. Mimi and Granny loved on their little great-grand kids!

I am thankful that I have such awesome parents to share holidays with. I love the pure joy and fun we share during all of our get togethers. It is rare to have drama free family gatherings, but my family manages to achieve this 90% of the time. The other 10% is spent listening to Aunt Brookie and Aunt CiCi fight over who is #1 with the kids and whether Texas Tech or OU deserves the big 12 championship game. (My poor Red Raiders got the shaft) We missed our out of town family very much... but we are looking forward to seeing them at Christmas. Jared's dad, Alicia, Maegan, Jim and Carlita are all coming in for Christmas and we can't wait to see them and have them see the kiddos.

Thanks Mom and Dad for a great day.... why aren't you in the pictures mom? Cooking too much, I guess.

Christmas, Christmas Time is Here

2008-11-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

This Christmas is going to be sooooo much fun! The best way to see Christmas is through the eyes of a child. Parker woke up the day after we had put up the Christmas decorations and said "I like trees, I like Christmas, I do, I do!" (thank you to Dr. Seuss)

Parker's favorite song right now is from Alvin and the Chipmunks... He has changed the lyrics slightly... "Christmas, Christmas time is here. Time for toys and not for tears."

While driving to Nana and Papa's this weekend to watch the demolition of my Red Raiders (boo OU) Parker asked to use my phone. I said, "Who do you want to call?" He replied "Santa"!

So we called Santa (aka Uncle Jim) in this story. I was laughing so hard that I cried as I heard the "Ho, Ho, Ho's" from my backseat and the belly laughs from my son. He got off the phone and told me, "Santa's gonna bring me presents."

I love the pure joy and excitement that the holidays hold for children. Santa even made our nightly prayers, along with Kung Fu Panda and pizza :)

Have I mentioned how much Jared and I love our kids. Avery is 3 months old this week. Hard to believe that she's been here for 3 whole months.

Halloween Pictures

2008-11-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

Thomas the Train going trick or treating at Nana and Papa's church. Parker was so hot in his costume since it is around 80 at the end of October.... I don't think we are ever going to see winter this year!

My littlest pumpkin! How precious is she?

Too busy to write much but I wanted everyone to see my little cuties in their Halloween outfits. I love my family!

I will leave you with the cutest progression of photos. Notice the smile on Avery's face pre- bow.... then the cute little pouty face after the bow was put on.

On the Road Again

2008-11-01T11:22:00.001-07:00

Well, this family can definitely wait to get on the road again. Although we had a wonderful time visiting our family in Atlanta and South Carolina, the drive with 2 kiddos is not one we want to repeat anytime soon. They were actually very good kids, but 13 hours in a car is a lot!

We visited Jared's brother in Atlanta. Jan and Mark are so wonderful and hospitable. We had a great time watching all the kids play. Parker became quite fond of Gracie's tea set and didn't want to leave. We visited the humungous Georgia Aquarium while we were there. It was a sight to see!

Then, we drove on to South Carolina to see my aunt and uncle. Jim and Carlita just bought a new house in Aiken, SC which is a horse lovers dream. There were horse farms galore. Parker was not afraid of those horses at all. He walked around like he owned the farm.

We enjoyed our first Steeplechase while in Aiken. We just happened to be there during their bi-annual Steeplechase week. It was certainly a first for Parker. Jared's horse was the only one who won a race. He won a whopping $4 :)

Growing Like a Weed

2008-10-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

Avery went for her 8 week checkup this week. She is 9 weeks old today!

Stats:

Height: 22 1/4 inches, 25-50%

Weight: 10 lbs, 25-50%

Head: 15 inches, 25-50%

She is my petite little one, unlike her 95% brother :)

We also decided to go with an alternative immunization schedule, so she only had 2 shots today. It was much less traumatic than with Parker. I feel bad for not asking for the sae thing with Parker, but you learn on your first, I guess.

Family Fun Day

2008-10-07T13:25:00.001-07:00

Mama's sweet boy! We enjoyed a day at the Dallas Arboretum with our friends. Parker loved running around with the pumpkins and playing outside.

He loves his baby sister! He talks to her in a baby voice and calls her whatever mama calls her that day... ranging from "Pretty Princess" to "High Maintenance Honey" depending on her mood.
I look at these pictures and think how pleased I am that Parker seems happy and adjusted. I am constantly worrying lately about whether he feels loved enough. I can't give him 100% attention anymore with breast-feeding and Avery's needs throughout the day but overall, I think he still knows he's Mama's boy!

Of course Dada will argue that he is Dada's boy, especially now. It feels like we divide and conquer at times... he gets Parker and I get Avery. I am a bit jealous that I can't get Parker alone more.

Taking in his surroundings.
Handsome Boy!!

I will leave you with three of the funniest things Parker has said this week...

1. After his prayers instead of saying "Amen", he says "All Da Men". Guess he thinks God only listens to All Da Men :)

2. After sneezing, if I don't say "Bless you" right away, he says " Bless You Me, Mama!"

3. While cooking dinner this week, Parker was sitting in his highchair eating when I hear "Mama, I'm a F*%! Head." I immediately turn around ready to scold him for saying such an awful word.... when I see him smiling with a fork on top of his head. "I'm a fork head, Mama!" I cracked up and gave him the biggest kiss.

Mommy Madness

2008-10-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

I am soooo enjoying the freedom of being a stay at home mommy! I know I have to return to work part-time in another month... but I will cherish my days off with the kids. There are so many great activities to do with Parker at his age. All these activities have the potential to really wear me out if Parker has a tantrum, but when he's in a good mood it makes the day fly by for both of us. I go a little stir crazy if I have an entire day at home with nothing planned for him to do... guess that's the old teacher in me coming out.

On Mondays there is the Arboretum's Mommy Mondays with crafts, face painting, pumpkin patch, music and tons of fun for the kids. This week we went with my friend Julie

and her adorable kids Mollie and Gabe. Mollie and Parker were dancing fools.

If Parker and Mollie were to get married they would have the clumsiest children on the planet with the curliest hair... don't ya think Julie?

Tuesday is school day for Parker... which translates to sleep for Mommy and playing dress up with Avery when I get bored.

Wednesday we go to the library for Toddler Time with stories, singing songs, and crafts.

Thursdays I can go stroller skating with Avery while Parker is at school. See previous post for pics of that fun.

Fridays are just fun days to have play dates with friends, like this week when we had two in one day. I had lunch with Heather and Michelle and their kiddos. Michelle and Heather have been my friends since the 4th grade and now all of our kids are around the same age and can play together. Then, my roommate from college came over with her son Ethan to play and meet Avery. She has another boy on the way, so it was good practice for Ethan to be around a baby!

I could really get used to this lifestyle. Now, if only I were rich and could afford to do more :)

A Week in Review

2008-09-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Avery is 4 weeks old now... time sure does fly! I am a little sad because that means I only have one more month of maternity leave before having to leave her a few days a week. She enjoys her tummy time more than Parker did, thank goodness. I'm sure a 50% noggin helps.

Parker decided that he likes school this week, which is a blessing, except when that means that he screams and cries when it is time to leave. After open house on Tuesday he decided that he wanted to stay with Ms. Martha and not come home with us. It was pretty pitiful. He toddled right into the room on Thursday without a single tear shed. This was a pleasant change from the guilt trips of last week where he cried... Don't leave me momma! After I dropped him off at school, Avery and I enjoyed a trip down memory lane (for me anyway). We went to the Thunderbird skating rink where I had gone for many birthday parties as a child and went stroller skating with some of my mommy friends from work. It was a blast and a serious butt workout that I needed.

Then, on Friday we went to a birthday party for one of Parker's friends from school. Thought this was a good idea... Parker was excited. Then we arrived and had our first full blown terrible two year old meltdown! He cried and cried "Don't leave me Momma!" He did not listen to me explaining that I was staying to play, he just bawled his eyes out, which made me want to do the same. All the parents were so sweet but I know they secretly thought... "Thank God that's not me!" I was mortified. He played well for about 10 minutes and then we had to leave because it was so awful.

I think Parker just wants to be the baby sometimes that crawls into my lap and gets cuddled. He acts like he enjoys being a big brother, but I think it is hard to process sometimes for him that he has to share Mommy.

Please pray for more sleep and less tantrums next week!

Pretty Princess

2008-09-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

I may be biased... but I think she is the prettiest little girl ever born. Too sweet in her tutu from Aunt Cathy!

Our first family picture... Parker was not feeling very cooperative.

Avery is growing quite well! She has returned to her birth weight and is in the 25% in weight (7

lbs 9 oz), 50% in height (20 cm) and 50% in head circumference.

Parker is really starting to enjoy her. He calls her a pretty princess and rubs her head or pats her back. He also likes helping mommy a lot... I have to get creative thinking of ways he can help since he wants to do everything!

We have been going a lot. We took Parker to the library one day, to get ice cream another day, to school. to the Octoberfest in Addison, and walking around the neighborhood to help mommy get back in shape. We went to my parents house for my sister's birthday where Avery got to meet her great-grandmother for the first time.

Hijacking

2008-09-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

It's Jared and I'm going to hijack Heather's blog tonight so please indulge me as I put down a few words to say what a special two weeks I've had with my family. Normally I don't stray too far away from work and the problems that arise but for the past week and a half I have been 100% disconnected. I've not checked email or voicemail and in the process have been able to spend some serious quality time with Heather, Parker, and Avery (although I'm a little disappointed in Avery's level of playfulness at this point!)

I had a tough time watching my little man go to school for the first time today. It seems like a month ago he was just getting here and now he's growing up quickly. I look at his face and see the innocence in his eyes and I don't want him to hurt or to be sad, and I will do anything I can to prevent that. But today I was helpless. I had to look through a 4 inch wide piece of glass and see my best buddy taking giant breaths after having a big cry because he was having tough time trying to process why he was there, what was going on, and where did mom and dad go. I wanted to open the door and give him a hug to let him know everything was going to be ok, but like I said I was helpless. I was helpless because I had to let go a little bit today. I had to put just a little bit of trust in others with my most precious gift from God and in the process learned that I need that little man probably more than he needs me.

So after 5 hours of worrying about Parker with several updates from "Nana" that he was doing just fine without me, we got to go home and resume our normal goofiness as evidenced by the wearing of the pants on the head above. Parker did great today and I'm so proud of him....hopefully Dad will do better on Thursday.

So in closing I would like to take just a few more words to tell Heather, Parker and Avery how much I love them and how I never saw it coming that I would become a big cry baby when it comes to them!

A Week of Firsts

2008-09-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful first week at home, for the most part. Avery is very good natured. She is content most of the day and only fusses about having her diaper changed and being hungry. The only hard part is that she wants to nurse at least every 2 hours, if not more often. She is trying to catch up to her birth weight, I guess, so I am trying not to complain too much. I am hoping this is a phase that will pass once she gains a little weight.

Not a big fan of her first bath with Nana and Momma.

Her first nap in her big crib. She looks so tiny in that giant crib! She sleeps in a cradle in our room at night but likes her crib during the day.

Parker's first time to share toys with his baby sister. I don't think she really appreciated the gesture since she slept through it all.

Parker seems to be adjusting to Avery pretty well. It is hard to truly tell what he thinks because he is preoccupied with his leg injury. (he slipped and fell 2 days before I was induced and got a bad sprain) He has been very hesitant to walk and we are having to trick him into weight-bearing. It is rough carting around a 32 pound two year old and a one week old. So I hope he'll be up and running again soon. In the meantime he has gotten very good at puzzles and playing with his new train set.

Jared has really enjoyed being at home with us. He said he'd like to still get paid and not have to work.... anyone know of a job like that? Sign me up too. I am really nervous about when he goes back to work next week. Hope I can handle it on my own! My mom is coming over a few days so I can have a little more help.

Avery's first football game with Daddy. She stayed up with Dad and watched college football while mom got some much needed sleep. Too sweet!

I am hoping we can remember to get someone to take a picture of us all together soon so we can post a family picture. We keep forgetting.

Ode to the Epidural

2008-09-02T10:43:00.001-07:00

Ok, so both kids are sleeping... maybe I can get a quick update on the blog without interruption.

Avery is just a perfect little girl! She is a little confused about when she should sleep soundly. She sleeps like an angel after every feeding throughout the day and turns into a wild woman at night. But that's okay because she's so darn cute I don't mind staring at her at 4:00 am.

So here's our birth story. It was soooo different from my first experience. I arrived at the hospital at 6 am on Friday and got all checked in. The doctor checked and said I was already 4 cm dilated so she would just break my water and see how things went. I started having good contractions around 7:00 and just listened to music from about 7-9. Then she said they weren't strong enough, so she wanted to add pitocin to intensify the contractions and speed things along. So at this point I have progressed to 5 cm. I was still doing good, just relaxing as much as I could and then the pitocin did it's job. I had about two five minute long contractions that had me in tears begging for the epidural, which was put in immediately with no pain whatsoever. The pain in front was too much to notice the giant needle in my back. The epidural did its job and I was comfortable by about 10:30. So I asked Jared to run to the gift shop and get me some gum and a t-shirt for Parker. While he's out they put me on oxygen because the baby's heart rate was dipping. He came back at 11:00 with lunch in hand and goodies to find out that the baby's head was right there and I was ready to push. He managed to scarf down his lunch while the doctor got me ready. I was still feeling nothing below the waist! Six pushes later Avery arrived at 11:41. I just kept telling the doctor I couldn't believe I had delivered her so quickly and with no pain! All the myths about epidurals seem to be false.... she nursed for an hour after delivery so she wasn't tired, I could not feel a thing but still managed to push effectively, and my feeling returned in about 2 hours. If there are women who deliver naturally with pitocin on board they are soooo much tougher than me! You guys deserve serious medals.

Jared was wonderful through the whole thing. I think I scared him a bit when he came back and saw me on oxygen and nurses getting us ready. He had a much easier job this time than with my 17 hour labor with Parker.

The only negative about having an epidural is having 3 bags of fluid pumped into you so that all your after birth photos make you look like the stay puff marshmallow man! See evidence below! That is my wonderful OB- Dr. Hays!

We feel so blessed!

Avery's First Video Montage

2008-08-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I promised pictures... sorry it is so late at night, but it has been a crazy day. Jared and I definitely have some adjusting to do to get used to being parents of two kiddos. Avery is gorgeous and very well behaved so far. Parker was much more interested in her today and loved on her a bit.

More to come after sleep!!

Pause my music on the side to hear the music with the video montage.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Avery has arrived

2008-08-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby girl Avery Elizabeth Anderson arrived at 11:41 am on 8/29/08. She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. We went in for our scheduled induction at 6:00 am and she quickly arrived. (more details on our awesome delivery to come)

Just wanted you to know that we will be home tomorrow and will post pictures of her then.

Growing Pains

2008-08-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we are about to grow from a family of three to a family of four. No more room in the car... no more rooms in the house. It is amazing that it is finally here. We are going to be induced on Friday the 29th at 6:00 in the morning if Avery hasn't made her appearance by then. I have a feeling she may make her appearance sooner. I am already dilated to 3-4 cm and having contractions, so it could be any day. In the meantime we are playing with Parker and living it up. Here's some of his cute poses lately. He loves to make silly faces and just behave like a boy.

Our next post will have pictures of sweet baby Avery... wish us luck in the next 9 days! Love you all!

My silliest bath face!

Dada, pay attention to me!

I am very serious about my new water gun! Stand back!

I've been tagged

2008-08-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Never done this before... but I got tagged by my amazing friend Steffie! She is the proud mama of triplets that have to be the healthiest 3 babies on the planet. Stefanie is the only woman I know who can make it look easy to lose baby weight...from triplets no less. :)

Here are the rules-

1. Link back to the person that tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog- and here they are...
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours- See below
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them- So many of my friends have been tagged :) I am going to tag 4 of you guys! If you have been tagged recently, just ignore this!
5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger, to let them know they have been tagged

Okay so this is hard to come up with 6 unspectacular facts about myself but here's my best

1. I am a relatively even tempered person.... that is unless I am hungry. I am notorious in my family for having the worst moods ever when my blood sugar drops too low. I never feel hungry, but a ferocious beast comes out that attacks for no good reason, and everyone looks around for the nearest food to give me. So, if I ever snap your head off for no good reason, just smile and pass me a Snickers bar.

2. I am not a person who has many fears... I have never had a panic attack or felt claustrophobic in my past. Small spaces, stuck in elevators, etc... never has phased me. IKEA scares the living crap out of me. My husband and I went to IKEA one time because some person who loves me gave us a gift card for Parker when I was pregnant, and I had a full blown panic attack in that store. I don't know if it was being forced to follow a never-ending path of arrows, being stuck behind a family who had never heard of deodorant, or the fact that I could not see an exit for miles but I started to sweat, my heart was racing and I had to sit down in the kids beds for while. It was a strange sensation that I never want to repeat. So I can say that I now have one fear in life... IKEA.

3. I love to watch swimming in the Olympics. I competed in the country club swim team circuit from about 8-15 years of age and for some reason I am still into watching it on TV. I was never a first place swimmer but I certainly tried hard. I threw up after almost every swim practice... I think it had something to do with doing over 200 laps per morning, but I was in great shape. Go team USA and Phelps! I have great respect for what those people do. It was rough.

4. I am a pianist without a piano. I played piano for most of my life and really miss it. It was my relaxation/destressor at the end of the day. I haven't had a piano since I moved out of my parent's house, so I probably stink compared to where I was in high school... but I hope it is like riding a bike and that I can get back into it when I can afford a piano one day.

5. I can't visit someone in the hospital without feeling a compulsive need to clean, provide some kind of medical care, or do something to feel useful. After spending the whole day in a hospital, you would think I could just enjoy visiting people but I feel the need to do something. I was visiting a good friend yesterday who had just had a c-section and beautiful baby boy and I couldn't stop thinking about how her catheter bag needed to be emptied. I told her if her nurse didn't come take care of it quick I was going to have to do it. It's compulsive. I just wish I wanted to clean that much at home.

6. I have a human thermometer in my cheek. It is a true talent. I can tell if Parker is running a temperature of even one degree just by pressing my cheek to his. I know a lot of mom's think they are good at this, but I am really good. Promise :)

So, now I am supposed to tag 6 people but most of my blogging buds have been tagged, so I will tag 3 people.

Jennifer

Julie

Diane

Dallas World Aquarium

2008-08-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know whether I am packing our weekends full of activity to keep from sitting at home and wondering when the baby will arrive... or if I am trying to pack in as much fun with Parker as possible before he loses his only child status. Either way, we are having a pretty good time, 103 degree heat and all. Jared and I have really enjoyed having Parker all to himself for over two years, and we look forward to our family growing, but it is a little sad to think he'll never know what it is like to have 100% attention again. It may be a blessing since we are spoiling him rotten, Avery may be God's way of balancing the universe again.

We really had fun with our friends Robert, Jennifer and their sweet baby Bobby! I remember the days when we could eat a meal with the baby sleeping quietly in his carrier... those days have left us.

Parker really enjoyed being under the shark tanks... he said let's go swimming too. Don't think he knows fear yet :)

The Bro

2008-08-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, why is my husband wearing a bra? This was the hilarious creation of Elmer and Jorge, some of Jared's buddies at work. They decided he should be able to help me out in the feeding department so they created their own nursing bra... The Bro for him to wear. I told him if I ever come home and find him trying to nurse Avery, that might be grounds for divorce, but this was a pretty funny gift.

This look on Jared's face says it all.... he has no idea what he is in for with a daughter. The puppy dog eyes and begging daddy for clothes... he has the deer in the headlights look now, let's see how he looks in 18 years when she wants a thousand dollar prom dress. :)

All of our friends and family have been so sweet to include Parker in the showers and spoil him as well as Avery. He got this Bob the Builder outfit from Archer and Erika, although now I am worried that he may audition for the Village People, but he is pretty darn cute with that plumber's crack. He has received books about being a good big brother, toys, clothes, and things to make him feel special too. We just love our friends and family. You guys have spoiled us and we really love and appreciate you all.

Binkies, Bottles, and Bows.... Oh My!!!

2008-07-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I am a little behind on the posting, so this one may be kind of long.

I am officially 4 1/2 weeks from delivering sweet little Avery (or less). If I have not had her by September 2nd, my doctor wants to induce. Great timing too, since Parker's first day of school is September 2nd. I have gained about 19 pounds and Avery looks to be a perfect size... not ginormous like her brother. So needless to say, I am getting excited, anxious and trying to prepare. My doctor has also asked that I cut back to half days for the last month, so I am officially part-time as of today! Parker loves having me home more and is very ready to meet his baby sister!

We have been super spoiled with showers over the last several weeks. We are prepared to have quite the little fashion princess on our hands. She has gotten bows, dresses, bloomers, bonnets, etc. I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and co-workers that love us so much.

My work shower was amazing! We had a huge turn-out, awesome food, and precious gifts for sweet Avery!

Then, we had a shower at my friend Angie's house. Someone should have told us that we would need a walk-in closet for our daughter... because the closet is busting at the seems after this shower with cute clothing.

This weekend my husband's coworkers are hosting a shower for the whole family. I am sure Parker will love to help me open presents that he has to share with his sister.

This Sunday we took some family pictures and maternity shots. Parker was too cute, but he definitely has a limit. We discovered he will work for food. Two smiles then food... two smiles then more food. Bribery worked wonders.

Fourth of July Festivities

2008-07-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

** You will want to pause the music on the side to hear the video clip at the end.

Happy Fourth of July to all my family and friends!!

Our weekend was jam packed. Thursday we took Parker to the zoo with Jared's relatives that were in town for a family reunion. It was hot but we had a blast.

Friday we spent part of the day at the family reunion and part of the day at my parent's house for a cookout. Parker loves to swim at Nana and Papa's. He had a blast playing with Baby Anna too! Jared got some great pics of my parents that I just had to share. They are a good looking couple of grandparents.

Parker was a super trooper and stayed up till ten or eleven every night and took 3 hours naps to recover the next day. He loved the fireworks and just shouted WOW the whole time. I had to include a video clip of how cute he sounded.

Saturday we spent all day at the reunion and topped it off with dancing and dinner at Traildust. On the way home from dancing, he decided to talk to the moon. His imagination amazes me. He said "Hi moon.... I can't reach you, too high.... come sit by me moon." Too precious!

Sunday we spent sleeping and trying to recover from our weekend.

Funny Things Parker Says

2008-07-02T06:07:00.001-07:00

Parker is just talking up a storm...full sentences that tie thoughts together and everything. He continues to amaze me with how smart he is. He is quite the performer at home, but every time I get the video camera out to catch those moments he quits talking and stares at the light. Stage fright I guess. But here's some of the cutest things I have heard this week...

1. "Mama, I want that pizza right here in my mouth!" It really sounds more like mouf
2. "Do you love me momma?" Melted my little heart!!!
3. When I asked if he was ready to get out of the pool, he said, "No thank you momma."
4. When he wants me to pick him up he tilts his head to the side and says "Please, oh, Please, oh, Please carry me momma!" How can I resist when he begs?
5. When he saw me crying (pregnancy hormones), he said "Are you okay momma? What is wrong with your nose?"

Sometimes he is so cute he makes my heart hurt!

Out of Town Family Invade Dallas :)

2008-06-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

We had several out of town visitors this weekend. Jared's dad, Keith, came to visit. Parker has decided that although we call him Grandpa, he shall be known henceforth as Umpa. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of the real Umpa, so this will have to suffice. :)

We hope Grandpa does not mind being called Umpa too much. They are quite cute and cuddly. Parker was a bit of a toot while Umpa was here. Parker needs time to warm up and get accustomed to new people in the house and this visit was a bit too short for his defrosting period. Hopefully Umpa will forgive Parker and come back soon to visit. We really enjoyed having him here.

Then, Micaela, Jared's niece arrived. Sunday was spent eating out, swimming and battling at Guitar Hero. Jared is soooo competitive.

We are looking forward to the invasion of the rest of the family this week. Jared's mom's family arrives this week for 4th of July festivities, so I am sure there will be many more pictures to share.

I am smart!

2008-06-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

What do you know? I figured out how to get an enormous video file on my blog through YouTube. So, if your work blocks YouTube like mine does then you will have to watch at home.

Sorry it is kind of long, but exciting to see how much she has grown. She yawns a lot, sticks out her tongue and seems to examine her hands. Too cute. At 1:57 you can see her sweet face really well and around 7:00 you can see her yawning and sticking out her tongue.

30 week Sonogram

2008-06-25T14:47:00.001-07:00

Today we had another sonogram. Avery is 29 weeks and 4 days, but I am rounding up!!! She weighed in at a whopping 3.3 pounds. She's a bit bigger than average, but that is normal for our babies. The good news is that I didn't gain any weight, which is amazing since I am eating so much. Maybe she will keep using all my stored up fat and I'll only gain 20 pounds with this pregnancy. One can only hope. Jared and I had a blast watching her yawn, stick out her tongue, swallow amniotic fluid and practice breathing. Jared said hopefully she will look like one of us, since Parker looks like the mailman :)

We are so thrilled that things are going so well. I must confess that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and to find out something is wrong, especially with all the complications we had with Parker. But praise God, Avery is perfect and this pregnancy is complication free. (not puke free, but complication free) No swollen legs and high blood pressure. Hooray. So as much as I complain about the puking and feeling tired, I am truly blessed that everything has gone as smoothly as it has.

There is something so exciting about new life and it is surrounding us lately. It seems as though all of our friends are expecting or have recently delivered. We have plenty of playmates for our kids to grow up with, that is for sure.

Just so everyone can see the amazing journey Avery has made... I have attempted the impossible.... uploading videos. Below is her first video on 2/23/2008 at about 12 weeks. The video from today is going to be harder to upload because it wasn't taken on our camera. So, I will try to post it tomorrow so you can see how amazing the change in space and her much more distinct features. It is awesome to see her hiccuping and moving around so freely at this early stage in my pregnancy before I could even feel her.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Father's Day Weekend Festivities

2008-06-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

The weekend started off with Parker's first full length movie. Jared and I decided to take him to the dollar theater so we could sneak out if it was disaster... but he loved it! Mostly he loved the popcorn, but he's been talking about Horton and his flower all weekend, so it must have made a big impression.

Then, we spent Saturday swimming at my parent's house and cooking out. He loves swimming and asks to put on his Nemo diapers to go swimin' almost daily. (maybe I will actually get a little tan this summer) After dinner we were entertaining Parker by showing him the piano. My parent's have a nice piano that they converted to a player piano for dinner parties. We put on the player piano and Parker's performer genes came shining through. He started bouncing, dancing, playing along and even took a bow at the end. It was a good 15 minutes of side splitting laughter. I don't know what we did to entertain ourselves before he came along. He seems to have inherited the performer genes from his father.

We then discovered that some of our best friends are expecting this winter... we are thrilled but won't reveal who they are just yet! They decided to make it special by telling everyone in person, which is really neat.

But I really want to dedicate this blog to my awesome husband and Parker's wonderful daddy!

Top Ten Reasons Jared Should Be Father of the Year:
1. He stays home late every morning just so he can see Parker when he wakes up and feed him breakfast.

Can't imagine why he would stay home to see me every morning... how could you resist this wake up smile??

2. He loves to read Parker stories and tuck him into bed at night.
3. He plays football and soccer with Parker anytime he's crabby to cheer him up.
4. He always makes a big deal out of talking to Parker on the phone, even when he's at work.
5. He takes turns cuddling and rocking whenever Parker is sick. He just hates it when the little man feels bad.
6. He does funny voices to make Parker laugh, like Donald Duck.
7. He loves the girl nights I have so he can have alone time with Parker.
8. He kisses my belly good night so that Avery doesn't feel left out.
9. He always says hello to Mommy and kisses her first when he gets home from work.
10. He gives the best tickles and kisses ever!

Happy Father's Day!

Sunny Days

2008-06-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is definitely here. The days of 90-100 degree heat have arrived. Swollen ankles here we come. We decided to take refuge at the nearest waterpark this weekend. Parker had a blast and wore himself out. He kept saying "I swimming Dada, I swimming Mama!" Too cute!

On Sunday, I hosted a baby shower along with some other awesome ladies for my friend Michelle. We have been friends since the 4th grade and it was so exciting to get to be a part of her shower. Not to mention she is having a boy, so Avery will have a boyfriend just a few weeks older than her! Congratulations Chelle!!!

Me, Heather Zisler (another buddy from 4th grade), Michelle, Michelle's mom Lilly, and Michelle's sister Yvette

Avery's Room

2008-05-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

Our Memorial Day weekend was packed full of activities! Painting, painting, and construction in Avery's nursery. I wanted to get as much done as I could before the third trimester fatigue hits. Jared worked his tail off to help me. My parents were great and spent all day Saturday helping me paint the room before Jared did the trim. It turned out even prettier than I had hoped.

The guest bedroom is the only room in our house that we had not re-painted or decorated to fit our taste. We were lazy and saved it for last. We are so glad to be rid of the black and white room.

Here are some before and after shots. The pictures don't do the room justice because it is so hard to fit the room in a picture.... you will just have to come over and visit us to get the full effect!

Before

And After

The best part is that Parker approves. He loves the polka dots and colored knobs to match on her dresser. He keeps wanting to play in Baby Avery's room. He only has to wait 3 more months to meet her!

Still Loving my Hubby!

2008-05-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

This looks like a postcard, but Jared took this from our balcony!

Jared and I decided to take a trip to the Lakeway Resort and Spa on Lake Travis in Austin this weekend. My aunt and uncle graciously agreed to keep Parker for 3 nights so we could get away before Avery is born. We read books, that had nothing to do with Mickey or Elmo; we laid out by the pool, without worrying about a little one falling in; we ate good Mexican food; we shopped for houses that were way out of our price range on the lake; we shopped at the outlet malls, mostly for Parker; and we went to a real movie at a real theater!!

The view from our room was wonderful and we even had some visitors our second night. The deer just hung out outside our room for about an hour.

It was all too good to be true, so of course something happened. We laid out for about 45 minutes before lunch and this is not a big deal for me, but my sweet hubby lacks some serious pigmentation. He turned into a lobster within 24 hours. By Sunday he couldn't move without wanting to rip his clothes off. So we cut our trip a little short, which was just fine with us since we missed Parker like crazy.
(this picture is so much less dramatic since I took it after we got back and the burn had faded, but you get the idea)

We decided that we won't survive him going to camp for a week, much less college. It is amazing how hard we tried to not talk about him, but always ended up talking about him anyway. We can't help ourselves!
But we do love each other even more than the day we said I do thanks to the wonderful memories we have made with and without Parker.

While Dad Was Away

2008-04-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

While Dad is away, the family will play, and be quite productive! I had to take off work today to wait on the insurance adjuster to look at our hail damage, so I decided to be productive in the meantime. He decided our roof was totaled, we will get new gutters and screens, new patio furniture, new pool gauges, new turbines/vents on roof, new outdoor grill and repairs to our fence. (Nationwide is on your side!!)

To Do List:
* Thank you's for Parker's birthday party sent
* Kitchen cleaned
* Bills paid
* I negotiated lower interest rates on cards we don't even use
* Organized office
* Made diaper cake for baby shower
* Baked cake for shrimp boil tomorrow night
* Played with Parker and got 1000 kisses
* Let Parker paint my face along with his picture

Then, I guess God thought I should slow down.... because around 2:00 in the morning I woke up with a horrible stomach virus. It is no fun taking care of a very busy toddler when you are running to puke every 5 minutes. I finally found a Good Samaritan, my sister-in-law, to take Parker for a while so I could crawl up in bed. I got some much needed sleep, thanks to Shannon, and am feeling about 50% today. Maybe by Monday I will be back at 100% just in time to work.

Let's all cross our fingers that Parker doesn't get sick. Daddy doesn't handle puke very well. So far so good.

On another note.... anyone who feels like being truly blessed should read the blog on the right called Bring the Rain. Angie Smith is my new hero... read her blog and you will feel the same way that I do. Her story is amazing and her words are powerful. She makes me want to treasure even the moments where I am sick and Parker is tugging on my arm to go play. I want to enjoy every moment.

Still a Girl!

2008-04-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 weeks sonogram today and they confirmed, it is definitely a cute little girl. She was scratching her face in some pictures and shoving a fist in her mouth in another. She was kicking a bit and looked really healthy. Her kicks are definitely strong enough for me to feel now, but not strong enough for Jared yet. I couldn't be more thrilled to be having a girl this time. I can't wait to dress her in cute little dresses and bows.... Yes, I am one of those moms who will subject her baby to bows on her head!!! I LOVE THEM! She could look like this little angel one day.

By the way to all my blogging buddies... we have decided on her name. Drum roll please..... Da Dum Da Da Dum...

Avery Elizabeth Anderson

Stupid People Beware

2008-04-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

WARNING!!! THIS BLOG CONTAINS COMPLAINING AND JUST PLAIN BAD ATTITUDES!!!

Okay so this post has nothing to do with Parker. (shocking!!) This is my complaining session dedicated to all the stupid people in the world. I find it amazing that when you are pregnant, women feel the need to tell you every horror story about pregnancy, childbirth, birth defects, etc. Well, let me tell you these stupid women have caused me loss of sleep lately. When Parker and I were at the hair salon a couple of ladies asked how far along I was, I innocently replied 20 weeks, not knowing the aftermath that would ensue. They proceeded to tell me about their neighbor who miscarried at 20 weeks, a friend with a baby born at 21 weeks that is still in the hospital 2 years later, an acquaintance whose baby kicked her way out foot first during labor, and any bizarre story that popped into their heads. These women with diarrhea of the mouth gave me horrible nightmares. I had one dream this week that during my sonogram on Tuesday they discovered the baby had no brain, and yet another horrifying dream that the baby's cord had ruptured.

Now, I know all my friends reading this blog can empathize because I have intelligent, wonderful friends who would never do this sort of thing. For real, ya'll, what are these people thinking when they say things like this to you??? That you will just go merrily about your day without a second thought to their horror stories? They must not know the way my brain works... it takes a small worry and turns it into the most horrific nightmare ever. My husband actually woke me this morning because I was crying in my sleep and my breathing was erratic. So, if you wonder why I have dark circles under my eyes, thank the stupid women with no filter between their brains and their mouths.

My aunt always told me that it is okay to complain about someone's shortcomings, as long as you say "Bless their Heart" after the comments. Such as, "that man is a drunk, Bless his Heart." Or "that woman has the ugliest haircut I have ever seen, Bless her Heart." So Bless your Heart all you pregnancy horror story-telling women out there. I forgive you. Here's your sign.

A Party Animal

2008-04-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

The birthday party was a big success this year. Parker definitely enjoyed himself more than last year. He was totally into the presents, he just didn't understand why he couldn't open every bag as it came in the door.

He had so many wonderful friends at his party. The kids had a blast in the bounce house (thanks Chris and Janet). Parker's not so great at the bouncing but he loves the slide!

He was very neat with his birthday cake... no mess at all. He was very good at sharing with MaMa too!

He has not quit playing yet. My favorite discovery is the Aquadoodle that won't be messy in my house.. plus I love how Parker calls it the AppleDoodle! Thank you to everyone for making this such a special birthday for our boy! He is growing up so fast that we wish we could hit pause at times.

He loved his Elmo Bubble blower too! There are so many cool things he got. My parents bought him an art easel for his masterpieces. We can finally quit painting on the washer and dryer!

We have wonderful friends and family! We were so happy that you all came to his party. Please look at the kodak gallery link to my pictures later this week for all the pics We have some cute girlfriends for Parker to choose from one day!

Things I Learned About My Son

2008-04-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

I had the day off work today to just play with Parker. We had an extended date today. He taught me several things about himself today that I thought I would share. It was one of the best days we have ever had!! It made me so excited to be a part-timer come September so I can be home with him more.

1. Parker likes rap better than Christian music. I turned off my Casting Crowns CD and the radio was blaring "Get Low, Get Low" and he started singing and dancing like a fool in the backseat. "Baby Got Back" is also a big crowd pleaser with him.

2. Parker picks up on everything I say! After visiting Nana at school today we drove off and he said, "Bye Bye Nana! See ya soon."

3. Parker can be in a phenomenal mood with no nap at all. Silly me, I thought HE needed a nap. Truth is mama needs him to take a nap, so I can get stuff done. We got home from our date around 3:00 and some friends from work came over to scrapbook. He stayed up the whole time playing without one fussy moment. It seems he only has a fussy time of day when I work. He just misses his mama!

4. As long as there are girls to flirt with, life is good. He flirted with Trinh, Mary and Kris like a champ tonight. When they left he said "Bye girlfriends!"

5. The cheapest birthday present will undoubtedly be his favorite. He played with a tiny howler monkey from his Diego rescue set all day. The Diego set was maybe 10 dollars, but that was his favorite thing he got. (The empty bag with tissue paper is of course a close second)

I LOVE MY KID!!! I hope this is the first of many dates we get to have when I stop working full time. It is great to be there from the time he wakes up till the time he goes to bed.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

2008-04-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Maybe it is the hormones, maybe it is the sappy blogs I have been reading (thanks Carole), or maybe it is just the crazy love I have for my son.... But I stared at him in awe tonight of how perfectly beautiful and wonderful he is and got quite teary! I love his blue, blue eyes, his soft skin, his precious freckles, and the way he smiles when he doesn't even know anyone is looking at him. He is just joyful! What a miracle God gave us on April 16, 2006! Sometimes I can't believe how much he has changed in two years. It seems like only a few weeks ago that I gave birth to him. I remember the instant relief of pain and complete joy I felt the second I got to hold him. Funny how God erases the pain and fills every ounce of your soul with joy.

Top Ten Reasons I Love Being Parker's Mommy:

1. I love, love, love his curly hair. Dada hopes he outgrows it because he thinks he'll look like Will Ferrell one day, but I think he'll look like Justin Timberlake and should keep those goldilocks!

2. I get lost in his blue eyes. Jared says they are the only feature he got from me, but I think his are 10 times more beautiful than mine. He doesn't need the eyelash curler and mascara to make them POP!

3. I love his voice. I have enjoyed these last few months of constant speech because he has the most precious voice. Especially when he says "I Wuv U Mama!"

4. His greetings when I get home from work. I thought doggie greetings were fun, but Parker's joyful cry "Mama's home!" takes the cake!

5. Bedtime stories. Parker is the best kid ever at bedtime. Around 8:00 he tells us he wants to go read, crawls in bed, picks out 3 books to read and then sweetly tells us "Night Night." He is so easy and cuddly at bedtime.

6. I love that he's a Mama's boy. I created a monster by loving on this kid constantly his first 2 years because now he's a hopeless Mama's boy. I love it though. He can stay that way forever.

7. He's a streaker. His favorite part of the day is when he gets to run naked through the house after his bath. You have to catch him to put on his diaper.

8. I love how much he loves to remember the whole family at bedtime. When we used to rock he'd say night, night to Nana, Papa, Uma, CiCi, Brady, Brooke, Shannon, etc... until we went through everyone including the dog. Now he just wants to call everyone on the phone.

9. His sweet nature. I have never seen a kid smile as much as he does. He smiles while he's playing, watching cartoons, painting, riding in the car, you name it!

10. Dancing. His dances are wonderful. He got his Dada's goofy style.

Tearing it up on Rock Band with Mama and Dada!

Happy 2nd Birthday Parker. You are deeply loved. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for our family.

It's a ........

2008-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Girl!! We are tickled pink.

We had our 3D sonogram today. It was not a whole lot different than a regular sonogram, except that you got to see snapshots up close of the baby's face and little body parts. Our little girl was being quite uncooperative by sleeping in a little ball throughout the sonogram. She didn't want to jump around as much as usual. But Jared and I are thrilled to be having a little girl this time. Parker is so special and I know he will love being a protective big brother!

Now we have the daunting task of picking out the perfect name. It is really difficult to name a human being and know that this will be such an important part of their lives. Big Pressure! Jared and I both have commented before on how strange the emotion is when you find out the sex of your child. You spend 4-5 months picking out names for a boy and girl, planning nursery themes, and making plans for what life will be like with a boy or girl. Then, when you find out the sex.... you say goodbye to one set of ideas/dreams. So, it is mixed. We were both hoping for a girl this time, but it is still sad saying goodbye to your imaginary boy. Funny how God implants a deep love right away. We feel so blessed that God has decided to let us raise a son and a daughter together.

I promise as soon as the scanner is working I will post pictures of her sonogram.

Dumb Moments and Fun Times with Parker

2008-04-06T12:52:00.001-07:00

Okay, so this was the sign that someone should have stapled to my forehead today! I swear that pregnancy causes exponential loss of brain cells. I was putting Parker in his car seat, while talking to my friend Heather (never multi task when operating with low brain cells) when I locked my kid in the car! He always grabs the keys from me, but I usually manage to wrestle them away before he hits anything, but today he locked it before I tossed them to the front seat. Luckily, we were next to an automotive shop and they felt sorry for me and helped me out. He was only trapped for 2 minutes, smiling the whole time, but I still felt like a horrible mother. He thought we were playing a fun peek-a-boo game. Oh, well. I am sure this is the first of many goof ups I will have with two kids.

So, Jared and I got to experience life with two kids this week. We had our nephew Brady stay with us for 6 nights while his mom was in Germany on business. It was such a joy in many ways because he loves Parker and is so good with him. It was challenging to make lunches, study for tests, do homework, keep up with soccer/baseball practices, and attend games. We are exhausted but had a blast. Parker has decided that he likes to watch baseball a lot more than soccer. So, here's our little slugger enjoying the game. If we were all inside Parker's head the recap would have sounded like this.....

When the other team was at bat.... "Batta, Batta, Swing Batta!"

Before Brady went to bat... "Okay Brady, keep your eye on the ball and your elbow up, and you'll be fine."

"Go Brady, Go! You can do it!!!"

Brady got a hit straight down the third baseline and batted in one runner!

"My work here is done. Time for a snack. I had no idea popcorn was so tasty!"

Be sure and vote on the sex of the baby. We will find out this Wednesday if you are right!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

2008-03-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

I am sad to report that my kid has grown up. First, he quit wanting us to rock him at night, and now he gladly says goodbye when we leave to go somewhere. This weekend he moved to a "big boy bed" without much drama at all. I can't believe he's not in a crib anymore. I think Jared and I had ourselves worked into a frenzy thinking he would have a hard time saying goodbye to his crib. But he surprised us both by proudly showing off his new bed to all the grandparents and sleeping through the night. I, however, did not sleep at all. My neurotic brain was going all night long, thinking of all the scenarios of how he could get hurt. Thus, I listened to the monitor closely all night and never slept. So, today was a bit exhausting but I am soooooo proud of my little man. He uses a step stool to get up into bed and gets out quit easily. Once he ascends the step, he throws his hands up and says "Ta Da". He must have gotten his flair for the dramatic from his father.

His mountain room turned out even cuter as a big kid room than a nursery. We have a desk on one side and a dresser on the other side of the bunk bed. No ladder yet of course as he'd just get hurt.

Pray that Parker continues to surprise us by being easy and sleeping through the night. I truly think transitions are much harder on us than him.

My little Easter bunny!

2008-03-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry there are a million pictures in this blog. I just couldn't narrow them down because we took so many. I love how handsome my two men looked this Easter. Parker said Happy Easter about twenty times to anyone that would listen.

It amazes me to think that this is Parker's 3rd Easter and he's not even two yet. (trying to figure out that math in your head aren't ya?) He was born Easter Sunday April 16th, 2006. He celebrated his second Easter when he was almost one last year and this is his third. Weird how Easter falls all over the map.

I have to say that this Easter was much more entertaining than the last. Last year he couldn't walk and just watched everyone else hunt. This year he made up for last by "double-fisting" it. He carried around 2 baskets and would scream "NO!" if you dared to try to take one away from him. He didn't care that the eggs contained candy that he couldn't eat.... he just liked finding them and collecting them. We hunted eggs over and over again all weekend in our house. It felt a little like playing fetch with a puppy at times, but much cuter.

We all commented on Sunday that we don't know what we talked about before Parker because he was truly the life of the party and the center of attention the whole day!

He had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday when it was still pretty warm outside and two hunts on Sunday with two sets of grandparents. Jared's family really tried to get my sweet little chubbers to eat candy last night, but my little guy refused. He is such a mommy's boy that he knows not to eat that junk without me even telling him. I was so proud!

Here he is sporting his "Mick-Mouse" ears. He loves Mickey Mouse clubhouse and won't take his new hat off!

Love this picture....It's like he's saying, "What, aren't I allowed to take all the eggs and not share? It is all about me, you know."

We had a wonderful holiday and really enjoyed spending time with our family. We are so blessed and thankful for our family. We know that God has blessed our family immensely.

Little Picasso

2008-03-16T08:08:00.001-07:00

Well, it seems we have a little Picasso (or probably closer to Jackson Pollock) on our hands. This weekend I stenciled his name on his favorite rocking chair and he decided he wanted to paint. He grabbed the paper plate and held it just like a pallet of paint and went to town. He would paint, then stand back to observe his masterpiece, and then he returned to work. Too funny!

It seems that my child got some sort of artistic gene that I completely lack. I can't even draw a dog without it looking like a stick figure. He loves to color...on anything. Thank God for Color Wonder and washable crayons. And now we can add painting to his repertoire... he is a natural.

We are ready for Daddy to come home... he's been out of town all weekend and Parker has done fine. Mommy is going nuts. I need to have conversations that consist of more than 3-4 words! I have great admiration for single parents because I am whooped after one weekend of it.

Belly Kisses and Belly Laughs

2008-03-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know you moms out there know how this feels. I think I am 1000x more in love with my kid today than yesterday. How does one heart continue to expand so much? He is so hilarious, and he had me cracking up in the car. On the way home from the park this afternoon he got thirsty watching me drink from my water bottle. I was a bad mom and didn't bring his sippie cup, so I decided to let him try to drink from the bottle. He proceeded to dump it in his lap and all over his face. So I took it away, he then said "more water please." So I gave it back, just for giggles and he poured it down his face again and looked totally surprised. He really thought he would get a different result in the four times I let him try. I know this sounds mean to let your kid get soaking wet, but he was cracking up and I couldn't help but laugh at his persistence.

Then, our evening consisted of kisses, hugs, cuddles and belly kisses. He says "baby belly" now and kisses my stomach. Too cute! So I will embarrass myself by posting the pictures...just look at him, not my expanding waist line.

Some days parenting is pure bliss.

No Genetic Scare!

2008-03-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

Hooray for baby #2. We got our results from the nucchal (sp?) translucency test/genetic screening, and our odds of having a chromosomal defect are less than 1 in 10,000! That is awesome news to us because our odds with Parker were 1 in 100 since we had a false positive. That led to a scary month in my pregnancy last time. This time I get to just enjoy the second trimester. I am only throwing up once a day (big improvement) and have so much more energy. I am starting to feel like myself again.

I am enjoying the heck out of Parker's new verbal skills and smarts. He now knows his colors, shapes, some numbers, some letters and so many words. The funniest thing he did this week was shouting "B, S" repeatedly in the grocery store. People probably thought I was teaching him profanity at home, but he always picks two random letters a day to say over and over. It is usually A,B or B,C, or D,E but for some reason he chose B,S in public. It was just to make me embarrassed, I am sure.

We are getting ready for his second birthday... mark it on your calendars. The Blue's Clues Bash will be on April 19th at 11:00. We will grill out again if it is nice.

On a side note.... can you believe it snowed like a blizzard last night and is so warm today that Parker is wearing shorts? Only in Texas!

I will leave you with the cutest trilogy of pictures... What happened to the poor fish?

Baby Hiccups

2008-02-26T17:04:00.001-08:00

Today was an exciting day for Jared and I. We had our 12 week sonogram and testing for genetic defects. Those of you that know me... know that we had a rough time with this decision. With Parker we got a false positive and went through months of worrying about Down's Syndrome. This time I wanted to skip all the tests, but for Jared "knowledge is power"... so we went ahead with testing again. Everything looked great today and she thought our risk would be very low. The baby started out on its stomach and then flipped over on its back. It had the hiccups and was moving all over the place. It was so fun to see its mouth open with each hiccup and float around uncontrollably from the movement. The baby's heart rate looked great and all is well in the happy uterus. Here's a picture from the day. I REALLY tried to upload a video from the sonogram but the file was enormous and wouldn't upload, but I can bore you with the video in person anytime you like :)

So, now I'd like to do some shameless parental bragging. My child, Parker, is a genius. He is the most advanced, brightest, smartest baby ever. And I am not biased, this is based on scientific research..... ha, ha. Seriously, he said dinosaur last night. WOW! Not even two and he knows the words triangle, circle and square when you ask them what they are. He even carried on a conversation with me on the phone today that had a beginning, middle and end.

Me: Hi Parker
P: Hi Mama!
Me: What are you doing?
P: Play ball
Me: you are playing ball with Uma?
P: Yes
Me: Can you tell me I love you before you go?
P: Luv U Mama!

My heart grew about 100x after that conversation! Our conversation usually consists of me talking and him grunting and pushing buttons. So this was major! I know all you moms are saying... whatever, you bragger. But man that was fun to brag for a minute.

Lastly, I want to congratulate my friend Heather who had a healthy 9 pound baby boy today. I know they must be thrilled to welcome their second baby into their family.

Back from the dead!

2008-02-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well folks....I think I am finally back from the land of the "almost dead". For those of you who haven't heard me griping for two weeks straight...here's a recap. I had a nasty ear infection that was incorrectly treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately it was viral and progressed for months causing 50% hearing loss in my left ear, constant ringing and horrible vertigo. The ENT said it is most likely permanent damage that has been done to my inner ear, but my brain has learned to compensate so the dizziness has improved a lot. But vertigo combined with morning sickness was awful. So, don't get annoyed when I say "huh?" or "what?" a lot.... I really can't hear you... I'm not just tuning you out :) But I finally feel better. Poor Parker was wondering who the mysterious woman was living in the bottom floor of the house who never played or moved her head. I took him the park today and had the energy to play. Hurray!

Also, I wanted to tell you all about my superhero friend Julie, who managed to push out an 8 pound boy in two tries and looks like a supermodel again. She didn't even struggle to get out of bed and hug me. My friend Carole and I were shocked and decided that she's either superhuman or we are super wimps. I choose to believe that Julie is Wonder Woman. I am so excited for her and her addition to the family! It makes me feel ready for number two.

I also wanted to share this precious picture of Parker in his new hat. Our dear friend Diane made this hat during a two hour road trip to Canton with me and my mom. I am amazed at her mad skills. Parker just wanted to take it on and off and play with it all day!

This is an old video of Parker swinging, but he smiled just as big today!

Novice Bloggers

2008-02-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

Peer pressure has prevailed! I have so many friends that blog and I enjoy reading their blogs so much. I can't keep up with the awesome writers and comedians I have for friends, but I am at least going to try to keep my family and friends updated on our crazy lives.

Parker is growing so fast that I better blog and keep everyone up to date or they will be angry that I haven't told them what he's doing now. He was slow to start moving, as most of you know, but he's outrunning his mommy now. He is putting 2-3 words together now and trying to talk all the time. His favorite things are reading, coloring, saying his ABC's, and Blue's Clues.

Jared and I are eagerly awaiting our next sonogram. We want to know if Parker will have a baby brother or sister! The baby is growing (as is my belly, much faster than with Parker). This pregnancy has been a little more dramatic is the beginning, but we are nearing the end of the scary first trimester. The baby is due September 8th.... yes that means I will be swollen and hot all summer! Anyone have a vacation home in Colorado that I can share this summer?

I promise to load the Christmas pictures to our photo website soon. But here are a few photos to tide you over. Here's the link to the photo gallery too.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/heatheranderson

For those of you new to blogging, like me.... you can subscribe to my blogor save it to your favorites on your toolbar so you can check in on little P-Man.

I think he missed the memo that Christmas is not all about the presents!