Dan's Birthday fun

I'm trying to be better about posting on the blog, but I'm still kind of behind. Dan's 25th Birthday was on Saturday. He did have to work, but we managed to have lots of fun before hand. He had his free grand slam at Dennys, got a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and then we went mini golfing. I haven't been mini golfing in years, I had forgotten how much fun it is. The best part is that we had Nate with us, and he LOVED it. The lady at the golf counter gave Nate his own putter that he carried around and tripped over, and we found an extra ball in one of the water pond thingys. So Nate got to putt around with his own putter and ball. Dan worked with him so much and Nate actually putted a hole, with a considerable amount of help :D
It was so much more fun than the first time we went to golfland together. In the positive addition column, Nate was discovering the joys of mini golf. Another considerable plus was that it was just the three of us, and there was no one hitting us with her golf club. Nate managed to make it all 18 holes without clubbing either of us once. A much better track record than his aunt who managed to hit her date, and Dan with clubs and balls, and then smacked me intentionally just so I didn't feel left out, I guess.
When we got home we found out that Cristi had dropped off a birthday cake for Danny. He was excited b/c his birthday usually gets overlooked what with all the festivities of the Christmas season. I was a little bummed b/c it interfered with my plans to surprise my husband with either a home made layer cake or an ice cream cake (I hadn't completely made up my mind yet) when he got home from work. Needless to say, that didn't end up happening. After all, what's the point of making a cake when a 9x13 cake is dropped off for 2 people? Luckily everyone has been home today, so we've put a small dent in it. But I'm probably still going to end up throwing half of it out. So, if I had made or bought a cake, it would have been that much more waste. Oh well, c'est la vie. After all, I'll have another chance next year for a meaningful gesture for my husband on his birthday. But the important part is that Dan appreciated it.
As I said, Dan did end up having to work. So that sucked, but on the plus side, they let him go early. Yay! All in all, Dan says that he had a good birthday. I got him a board game that he's been wanting. It's called small world, I think. We haven't played it yet, but I'm sure we'll pull it out soon. Dan says it got good reviews and what not, so he's really looking forward to that.
And that's about it for birthday festivities. At least that's it for my "family-friendly" blog ;)

Christmas fun

This year Christmas was so much fun. Nate and Lilly were actually old enough to appreciate the decorations, unwrapping presents and the fun that we had. Last year Nate was only about 10 weeks old, so he slept through the festivities. This year he was intrigues by the Christmas tree, and while he wasn't mesmerized by the lights, he did enjoy all the walks we went on to go see them.
It was so funny to see Lilly and Nate on Christmas morning. Nate got a cool riding toy shaped like a car with working horn, key and driver side door. And he and Lilly both saw it at the same time. And they both thought it was AWESOME. That led to some tears, some possessiveness, and some heartbreak, but it was funny too. Lilly edged Nate out of the way and climbed in. Then Nate tried to climb over the hood to get in. And later when Nate was riding, Lilly threw herself across his lap and tried to push him out. It sounds violent, but it was cute and funny at the time. By then end of the day, they had gotten over it, and the fact that it was declared an outdoor toy (at which point it was removed from the living room) helped a lot. Nate loved that Grandpa Adams took him to the house at the end of Plata to see the lights, and let him ride his new car the whole way.
Dan and I got a "night on the town" from Dad and Jane. So on Monday we're going to Charleston's for dinner and AMC for a movie while Nate stays at "Grandpa's babysitting service" Dan and I haven't had a date night since....hmmm......wow. I know it was before Nate's birthday, I think it was even before I saw Julie & Julia back in September. I have a hard time leaving Nate for any period of time. Actually, for our first date after Nate was born Mom pretty much kicked us out and said she was watching Nate. He was 4 months old. Oh, and speaking of Mom, I remembered, Dan and I had a date night when she was in town. Just before Halloween. We went to Olive Garden and Mom and Sara took Nate to the Lines's ward's trunk or treat. He had a sleepover that night, and I was freaking out. It was the first and last time he's been away overnight.
Anyway, Christmas was fun. Grandpa and Aunt Sharon stopped by and gave us a Christmas card, and Dan's birthday card. That was nice because Dan had to work, so he missed seeing them on Christmas Eve. Ryan came over too and joined us for dinner. Cristi and Matt even dropped in. They came right as I was making a blueberry pie for dessert. That was pretty comical. I was visiting with the Dixons and my pie crust sat too long and became unmanageable. So I ended up improvising a crumb topping that ended up working out pretty well. But it didn't keep in the juices as well as a top crust would have. So the pan that my pie was on in the oven was so dirty and baked on that I had to soak it almost a full 24 hours. And now I get to clean the oven too b/c the juices overflowed and splattered. But it was pretty good. And, bonus, since the Dixons's visit threw me off schedule the pie got put in late, so it wasn't ready for dessert, so I got it all to myself later. Trying to be positive and focus on the whole more pie for me angle vs the no dessert for Christmas dinner angle.
All in all, it went pretty well. As usual for holidays, I was in the kitchen most of the day. But I was super stoked that I had enough nice bowls and serving spoons, so there was no plastic on the table. And I got to use my china! Dad even pulled out some placemats and cloth napkins that I didn't know he had. I loved it. I'm such a dork, but I LOVE pretty presentation. It makes the food taste better. And it brings joy to my soul!
I think that's my new favorite saying. Pretty much everything brings joy to my soul lately. Sweet potatoes, pretty food presentation, sleeping in, nap time, a clean house, spending time with family, etc....
OH, and I almost forgot. Dan decided that he wanted to carry on his dad's tradition of reading How The Grinch Stole Christmas for Nathan. So, on Christmas Eve Nate stayed up way too late, and Dan read it for him before bed. It was so sweet. I really enjoyed it. Nate ran around and tried to steal the book and beat us with it, but I think he liked it too. He's not much of a story reading kid. He just doesn't like anything that makes him sit still for any length of time.

How lucky I am

I just feel so lucky and so blessed right now. I have a sweet baby---wait, scratch that. I have a sweet little man child. As much as I wish it wasn't so, there is no way I can still refer to my wild child as a baby. Except in the sense that he will always be my baby, even when he's 70 and a grandpa. Anyway, semantics aside, Nate is so sweet, and I am lucky to get to be his mommy.
I have a wonderful husband who loves me more than I deserve. How many people get to pretty much grow up with their best friend and soul mate? Dan and I met when we were 14 years old. Now, 10 years later, we're still good friends, and he still makes my stomach flutter. I can't believe that next month it will be 10 years since we met that afternoon in 5th period Spanish.
The end of the month marks the 3 year anniversary of my joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of the most significant days of my life. Some days I can't believe how lucky I am. Even after all the mistakes I've made, after all the deliberate bad choices I have made in my life, a way has been made for me to return to live with my Father in Heaven and with my family. I remember sitting in the Temple, and thinking "wow, I get all this, and all I have to do is be good?" It seems too unbalanced. I almost feel like I'm taking advantage of Heavenly Father. The blessings that I have received and that I have been promised seem like too much in return for the few, small things I've been asked for in return.
I have so much going for me right now. And seemingly small things make me happy. Like my Primary President sent me an email today. Sunday I got an email from her saying that the Primary had the responsibility for cleaning the ward building and asking for help, and apologizing for the short notice. Today's email said "Thank you! I know I can always count on the Andersons!" That made my day. I love that I am becoming the type of person who others find dependable. I know that hasn't always been the case. I don't know why, but it just gives me the warm fuzzies. I love it!
I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!

they joys of raising a boy

Sometimes you've got to just take a deep breath and remind yourself that you do, in fact, love your child very very much. Today was one of those days. Nate has been going nuts because he's been cooped up all week. Normally I would take him to the park, or to the library or even a quick trip to the store. But we usually get out of the house every day. This week I've been sick. Today I was happy that I actually got out of bed before 3. Luckily for me, the semester is winding down, so Dan has been home a lot more than usual. So, that was a big help for me. But Dan's idea of fun time with Nate is playing peek-a-boo or getting out toys and playing on the floor. Fun, but not exactly the type of activities that will burn off a 1 year old's excessive energy. Well, Nate took advantage of his inside time and perfected his climbing skills. He can now climb onto and off of the bed. I became aware of that fact when he climbed across my head and sat down on me with his soggy, stinky diaper. Let's just say that's not my favorite way to wake up.
Later in the day I was feeling much better, so Nate and I dropped Dan off to take his calculus final (which he thinks he rocked!!) and we went to Target and Ross. Apparently I was not quite up to a trip of this magnitude. So, I am standing in Ross, looking at blouses when I notice that my dear son is not only standing up in the cart (a regular occurrence for him), but he has also thrown one leg over the side of the cart and is trying to climb out. On the bright side, he was going down "safe" (on his tummy, using his feet to search for a ledge to stand on) like he does on the bed. Needless to say, that particular activity was strongly discouraged. Not that it did any good. He tried again, and again, and again. Nathan is nothing if not persistent.
On a more positive note, Nate's various bumps and bruises are all currently healed. I almost don't recognize him. But then again, it is more difficult to bonk and bruise when you're playing on carpet, a bed and pillows. I love my little wild child. I never know what to expect. He gives me little warning as to what crazy thing he is going to try next :)
Nathan is still nursing once or twice a day, and he's getting much less subtle about letting me know when he's ready. The best part is when we're out in public and all of a sudden he starts attacking my shirt, trying to rip it off so he can nurse. He's getting to an age where it's more creepy than cute when he tries to get into my shirt. I pity his future girlfriends. If he's that fresh with any of them, I foresee more scratches and marks across his handsome little face. But if he acts like that, I wouldn't blame any girl for slapping him :) Heaven knows I slapped his daddy when we were dating. . . though that didn't happen too often, Dan's a good guy. Most of the time. The downside to Nate still nursing is that he is still waking up in the middle of the night, though I've found that if I stuff his tummy right before bed he wakes up later. Usually I would just let him cry it out and put himself back to bed, but he shares a wall with Spencer's room and I don't want my little bro to have to deal with a shrieking baby at 2am when he's got to be up for school the next day.

Jane and Christmas decorating

I met a new person today. Her name is Jane, and she's dating my dad. She is really nice, and pretty, and she likes the Tinkerbell store, and she has a cute purse, and she's a twin, and she's bad at playing pool. But the best thing about her is that I can't remember the last time I saw my dad so happy. Honestly, for that alone, she could be a serial killer and I would like her.

In other news, we decorated the Christmas tree today. Nate and Lilly were so much fun to watch. Lilly went out of her mind when she saw the tree all lit up. And they both got to put a couple of unbreakable ornaments on the tree. It was bittersweet. On the one had, it's nice to share these experiences with Nate. But on the other hand, I miss Devon so much. He would be 5, almost 6 years old now. I hung his racecar ornament from 06. And his snowglobe ornament from 08. And it hurts me that I have nothing for him from 07.

When Jane got to the house, Dad was showing her around, and pointing out the pictures on the wall. It was all smiles and jokes until we got the the Devon pics. No one said a lot about those pictures. I just said, "that's my boy" and got a huge lump in my throat and walked away.

This Christmas I have so much to be grateful for, and I know that I have been blessed in my life in so many different ways. But I also feel like I've been cheated. All these memories are incomplete. Someone is missing.

Nathan is 1!!!

I cannot believe that my baby boy is already a year old. On Wednesday we woke up early and headed to the zoo. It was so much fun, especially getting to hang out with everyone. Kathleen and Elara, Marilynne, Jenna, Bethany, Michael, Bryan, Kamarah and Maelee, Trevor and Janelle all met up with us. We got to see the monkeys (still our favorite!), the lions, tigers, rhinos and so many other animals. It was awesome! And, on Monday we got to hang out with Ricky and Elara at the park. Nathan had such a fun week!
After the zoo on Wednesday we took Nate to Joe's BBQ in Gilbert. He ate his entire sandwich. From JOES!!!! that's huge. And that night Dan and I took him to the park to play. I think that Nate had an awesome birthday. He was all smiles and grins throughout the day. And, on the plus side he wore himself out and went to bed at 7:15
I just can't believe how much my little man has changed over the past 12 months. He went from a tiny baby, completely dependent on me for everything to an independent, walking, talking little man. He's walking several steps at a time, though he still prefers to crawl. He has mastered the art of climbing, and enjoys jumping off the things he climbs on. He's a talkative, babbling little boy, who imitates me and the things I say/do. Like in the car, when we get stuck at a light, he yells "go" from his carseat. Or, if he gets upset with something I do he points his finger at me and makes an angry scowling face. He furrows his brows (like I do when I scold him) and shakes his finger at me. It is so cute!
I love watching Nathan get into things. Even though it makes me nuts, it's fun to see him make discoveries. He knows that if he opens the cabinet door he can pull out a stack of bowls. And if he turns them over, he can bang on them like drums. Or, if he twists his body after I unbuckle his carseat straps, he can free his arms and climb out. He is also starting to be able to figure out where his toys are kept and how to get into them. I love seeing his mind work, and seeing his looks of concentration until the light bulb goes off and the connection is made.
I LOVE my little boy!

frusteration

Ugh, today has been........interesting. Something that should have been so good and so happy turned into a big source of frusterations and hurt and negative emotion. I know that the negatives will fade and the awesomeness of the situation will shine through, but right now I'm just so irritated! I don't know why I'm surprised when people act in a manner consistant with their personality. I guess what really annoys me is the glaring hypocrisy. If I had done what this person did today They would have trash talked me to everyone we know and been pissed and refused to talk to me for a week or two, and would have brought it up every now and again, especially whenever a similar circumstance arose. I handled a similar situation with as much tact and compassion and consideration for their feelings as I could, and still got a negative reaction. Again, news that should have been a source of extreme happiness and joy turned into me standing there for 10 min. hearing about how it was crap and how everyone else did the same thing, and how this person was constantly wronged. I got a "oh, well I'm happy for you, but can you see where I'm coming from? It just sucks. And at least you actually came out and told me, persons x, y and z never even told me, I'm always the last one to know and I have to hear it from someone else." blah, blah, blah. I'm sorry that what you want didn't happen on your timetable. But for goodness sake, that was my day. Why does everything have to be about you? Fast forward to today: this same person has found the most impersonal, uncaring way to spread the word to the masses. Would it really have killed them to wait a day and share the news in person? Then go ahead and slap it up all over internet land. Whatever
As I said, I really am happy for this person. I know that this is big news for them, and that it's something they've dreamed of for years now. I'm irritated at how I heard, not what. Grrr

fun itmes in the ER

Well, last night was a fun-filled ER adventure. After 2 days of Nate not being himself, Dan and I took him into the ER. Poor little guy, he was really warm and listless. We went to the park and he didn't even want to go down the slide or crawl in the grass! I tried 3 different times to get him into the pediatricain (and was stuck on hold for at least 15 min each time). Darn swine flu!
But when he started throwing up as well, I took him in. We got there and he had a fever of 104! (and, to prove that he was serious, he threw up on his dad twice before they even got his temp taken) I was so freaked out. We were never even in the waiting room, they took him back immediatly.
I can't help but feel guilty. I knew that he hadn't been feeling well, but I just told Suzanne to give him plenty of fluids and a cool bath before bed, and I went out for a GNO to see Julie and Julia. I left him for a night and come home to a sick baby with a ridiculously high fever. And as we were at the hospital and they told me his temp and his weight (almost a pound less than normal) I felt like a terrible mom. For the second time I left my son for the night and ended up in an ER room. At least this time I got to bring him home with me. As if I didn't already have enough neurosis and paranoias.
I will admit that I got slightly hysterical. (Sorry Sara, hope it wasn't anyone you know in triage). My voice went up about 4 octives as I shrieked "that's really high!" (in response to the temp), and "he's lost over a pound?!?!" (when they weighed him). Luckily Dan was able to calmly talk to the hospital staff while I cried in the corner.
We were whisked off to the back, and Nate was given a bed immediatly. He got a suppository that dropped his temp like a rock off the Empire State building. Then, just as he was starting to feel a little better, and have a tiny bit of energy and not just lie there like a lump, not caring what happened to him....he got a catheder, and they took a urine sample. Let me just say that he was NOT enthused with that process.
It seemed like forever, and I was really freaked out, but we finally got the results. Turns out it wasn't a UTI. And he was only slightly dehydrated, so he didn't need an IV either. It's just a virus, and he needs fluids, rest and tylennol. Thank goodness!

pitter patter of little feet

well, the day I've been dreading came last week. I can't believe I've been suck a slacker that I didn't post about Nate's first step for a week! Last Monday (4 days before he turned 10 months old) Nate took his first step when Kathleen came over to drop Elara off. I couldn't believe it. I mean, yeah he's been standing on his own pretty well lately, but I didn't think that he would be taking steps so soon. I mean, he wasn't even 10 months old yet!
He hasn't done it much since then, but he is standing and looking like he wants to walk. He gets all excited and tenses up like he's going to take a step, then he bends his knees so he's in a crouch, then he stands back up again. And he keeps that up until he finally falls back to his knees and crawls around again. It is so cute.
I just can't believe how big Nate is getting all of a sudden. I mean, my baby is growing into a little man.

This Sunday we gave Nate his FIRST HAIRCUT!!!!! Dan was getting tired of the mohawk that Nate sported everytime his hair got wet. And the crazy bedhead he was waking up with. So, I finally gave in.

"What is this strange buzzing sound near my head?"

"Why is my hairs on the floor?"

He's a handsome little man boy now. He looks more like a little boy than a baby boy and it's breaking my heart! I love seeing him so big and seeing all the things he can do now that he couldn't do a few months ago. But at the same time, I kind of miss the baby phase. He's just growing waaaay to fast.

Finally updating

Wow, I can't believe I haven't updated since April! Well, since last time I posted a lot has happened. Nate and I have been going over to Jennifer's or Marilynne's house to scrapbook almost every week. I love seeing my pages come together, and imagining looking back at all the memories I've been chronicling.
In June Nate and I went to visit northern California for Grandpa Anderson's 80th birthday celebration. It was a lot of fun. We got to meet some family members that I hadn't seen since Dan and I got married, and who Nate hadn't met yet. We also got to spend a lot of time with Dan's aunts and uncles. And I really feel like I got to know them a lot better.
Afterwards, Uncle PJ came to visit us for a week and a half. Nate loved it, and Dan was super stoked to spend time with his little brother. We got Spencer, Dan, PJ, Brian, Tyler and a couple of Spencer's friends together and they had a halo party.
Lilly had her first birthday party and it was fun. Even though it could have been planned better. We were at the splash pad from 2-4. Turns out the water is shut off between noon and 4pm. So, that was great fun.
Nate has been in swim lessons for the past 4 weeks, and he LOVES to swim. He is like a little fishie once he hits the water. He can do big arms, big kicks, blow bubbles, hold onto the wall, and do monkey arms. He's not the biggest fan of floating on his back, but he loves splashing and singing songs.
Last time I updated Nate was crawling. Well, he's still doing that very well. But he's now standing, cruising, climbing stairs and getting into mischief every chance he gets. He recently cut his fourth bottom tooth, and his 5th and 6th top teeth. Which brings him up to a whopping 10 teeth!!! So, once they grow in, he'll have more teeth than Lilly! It probably won't help. After all, she's still biting him. But now he pushes her down too, so I guess that's progress. My baby doesn't get pushed around, now he can be the bully too. :)
Ok, I think this is long enough. I will try to be better about updating the blog. Lately I've been sucked into the world of facebook. And, as I've mentioned before, I can only support one online addiction at a time.

For Nate

Hi sweet boy. This is another letter from Mommy to let future you know what you're up to at 6 1/2 months old. Right now you're alseep, taking your morning nap so that you'll be well rested for a fun day of playing on the floor at Aunt Marilynne's house while Mommy scrapbooks. I'm about to pick up the photos I ordered. Just picking out my favorites, there are 154 picutres of you in the past 6 months!
Let's see, hmmm. Well, you've been getting better and better at crawling and babbling. I swear sometimes that you're saying mama and dada. I know that you're not quite big enough to actually say it and mean either me or daddy. But it's really cute. And watching you crawl around is so funny. You get up on your hands and knees and rock back and forth, or sometimes you plant your face into the ground then drag yourself forward. Then of course there's the circle crawl where you see something (usually Princess) and drag yourself around in a circle. You work so hard, and you move so much, but you don't get very far.
I've been singing primary songs for you and so far Popcorn Poppin on the Apricot Tree seems to be your favorite. I think it's the gestures. I love to see your face light up when you hear IIIIIII looked out the window, and what did I see?. By the time I've gotten to window, you're usually giggling. Everyone comments on how happy you are. I've even been asked if you ever cry. Nate, you are such a sweet, happy little boy. You smile and make happy faces at strangers in grocery stores. And you make new friends everywhere you go. I can't believe how lucky I am to have such a sweet little boy. I love you so much.

Summertime swim fun

Today Nate and I went swimming for the very first time! We went with Kathleen and Elara, and we all had so much fun! Nate and Elara had a blast, and by the end of the day we had two waterlogged babies. Nate thought that kicking his legs underwater was the coolest thing ever. At one point I was supporting him as he floated on his back, and he started kicking and smiling so big. Then, with me supporting him, he kicked and moved his arms like he was actually swimming, not on his back, with his tummy down. Does that make sense? It was like I would swim freestyle. He also enjoyed putting his head down and trying to drink the pool water like he does in the bathtub. He did not, however like the taste of chlorine. It was so funny to see him dip his head down, take a sip, then spit it out and shake his head. The funniest part was that as soon as he had finished spitting out the bad tasting water I saw him trying to do it again. Needless to say, I lifted him up and out of the water, but it was cute, nonetheless. We also floated around the lazy river for a while. Nate really enjoyed that, but he wasn't so keen on the parts when water dripped down on us. He was so cute in his little swimsuit. And, I learned well from the camping sunburn incident. He was lathered up so well that he still smelled like sunscreen even after his bath!
I have to admit that it was kind of difficult at first. I guess I'm glad that Nate was born last year, and not the year before. Last summer Dan and I got used to being in pools again. I'm glad that we did because it made it so much easier to take Nate this summer. I'm happy that Nate and I went swimming today. He had so much fun, and I feel like there's hope that I won't be "that woman" the one who people point to and whisper "she was never the same after the accident" Now I can't wait for Desert Oasis to open so that we can go to a pool more often b/c I would happily drive a mile to the pool once a week, or more. However, I am not at all likely to make the trip waaaaayyyyyyy out to where we went today as often!

6 months old!

My baby boy is 6 months old today! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. Nate went from a tiny, helpless baby to my big, crawling, solid food eating, smiling, babbling boy in such a short time. Last month he was 27 inches long and almost 16 pounds, when he was born, he was 20.5 inches and just over 9 pounds.
In six short months, Nate has done so many things. He's visited Grandma Adams twice. He's had his first Christmas, driven cross country to visit family in Illinois. He's been to the zoo more times than I can count. He has also mastered rolling, smiling, laughing, eating (and spitting) solid foods. He is currently learning to crawl, and is constantly expanding his babbling vocabulary.
I love to see his little face light up as I walk into his line of sight. He recognizes me, Dan, Lilly, Elara, Suzanne, his Grandpa, and Uncle Spencer. And as soon as he sees one of us, he smiles so big and sometimes lunges towards the person he wants to be held by. Nate is such a happy little boy, and he amazes me everyday. I can't believe how blessed I am to have been trusted with such a sweet baby.

Crawling

Nate has been trying his hardest to crawl, and I think it's adorable!

you can track his progress by the position of the orange egg. He didn't get far, but he worked for every centimeter!

What's new in Anderson Land?

It's been crazy for us lately. Yesterday was surprisingly less sucky than I expected. Yes, I did have a couple of mini meltdowns, but all in all we were too busy for me to dwell.
Dan got a pharmacy tech training certificate, and he had an interview today. Fingers crossed! He thinks he did well, and we should know by the end of the week. I am so happy for that b/c he has been getting really discouraged lately. And, on the plus side, he would be working with Rob Garbrik, an old high school buddy. So they would get to carpool and hang out, and reconnect. Bless you, facebook for bringing long lost friends back together again!
Lilly has been spending a lot of time with us too. About 3-4 times a week, I watch her while Suzanne's at work. It's a lot of fun, but it's draining too. It really makes me rethink my original position of wanting to have another baby so soon. 2 kids in carseats is HARD! Of course, now kids are in carseats for like 15 years, so I guess it'll happen sooner or later.
Speaking of Lilly, this weekend I made a dress for her, all by myself! I was so proud, and I got really excited. So now I have another dress cut out and 5 more fabrics picked to make into dresses. It's so much fun! And it's easier than pants b/c I don't have to worry about buttons or snaps or elastic. Those are the banes of my existance. Though I really should get around to making Nate some cute things too. It's just that dresses are so much fun, and I went overboard and bought Nate so many clothes already.
Another fun update: Dan was called as the ward choir director. I think it's so that we don't leave early, since the choir meets after church, and we have a tendancy to skip out, especially if Nate isn't feeling it. I don't have a calling yet, but I know I'll end up helping Dan however I can. The funny thing is that I was actually planning on joining the ward choir b/c Dan and I decided that we are going to be a lot more involved in the new ward. That was one of our big issues in the old one. We got too "comfortable" and in a rut. And it was established early on that I was shy (right after the accidnet), and that never really changed. 2 years in that ward, and we never were asked to give a talk, or to say a prayer. Heck, we didn't have callings for over a year (asked to be released from Activites Comittee-again, right after the accident. I just wans't ready to plan fun activites for other people's kids. Especially since the ward Christmas party was so significant for me and Dan and Devon). Then, everyone kept confusing us with Sara and Justin and thinking we moved. So Dan wasn't even assigned HT. Now, we've been in this ward for about a month and Dan has a calling, we were asked to give the prayers in Sacrament Meeting, and we're going to the ward luau this weekend. I think that's some pretty good progress. Now I just need to get in the habit of VT. I've never been good about going. Honestly, I feel bad for my companions over the past 2 years. But, from now on, I'm going, and I'm going every month. That's my pledge to myself! Well, that's what we've been doing. And once I find the camera/computer cord, I'll post some newer pics.

Happy Birthday Devon

5 years and 10 hours ago one of the sweetest little boys was born. You all remember last year, I started posting fun Devon memories here on the blog. Well, I've decided to do it again. Ever since Nate was born it seems like we've been thinking of Devon more and more. I guess it's pretty normal though, after all, we all compare what our kids are doing with what their older siblings did at their age, right?

So, here's some fun Devon History:
Devon was born at 7:55 on a Tuesday morning. He was a beautiful baby with a head full of hair. At the time, we were living in Flagstaff, but he was born here in Phoenix. We left the hospital on Thursday and went home after Easter. I know I've got some pictures somewhere of Devon "hunting" Easter eggs at the ripe old age of 5 days old. Maybe one day Mom will start talking to me and I'll be able to get them :(
At 8.5 months old he said his first word. At Christmas dinner he looked up, said mama, looked right at me, said mama again, and turned back to his mashed potatoes. Everyone had been talking, and it was pretty loud, but as soon as he said it the first time, the room went silent. And as people were turning to each other asking if he had said his first word, he repeated it. Best Christmas gift EVER!
I don't remember what age it was, but Devon took his first steps in my parent's living room. Mom had the Elk hide laid out, and he was standing next to the couch, leaning on it for support. All of a sudden, he lunged forward and took his first 8 steps. The most impressive thing about that was that he actually stepped over a fold in the hide. I was amazed.
At about 10 months old, he had his first haircut. Following Hopi tradition, his Uncle Spencer shaved his head. He wasn't a big fan of the clippers, but the mohawk Spencer gave him initially was really cute. Spencer shaved his head that night too. Well, he originally had a mohawk as well. But no one believed that he asked and Mom said that he could keep it, so the put him in a headlock and shaved that off too.
By the time Devon was 1 year old, we were living in Mesa. He had 2 birthday parties b/c the house was too small to fit both extended families.
For his second birthday we went to the park. The ramada wasn't reserved, but we were able to find a grill next to a picnic table and I called Dad and asked him to bring the folding table an some chairs. Meanwhile, I rushed to Walmart and bought the dozen folding chairs they had. At least everyone got to have a place to sit, right?
His third and final birthday party was also at a park. His best friend was there, his grammy and his aunts too. And his Daddy. It was such a great day for us. Even with Mom there being hateful and rude. He had his Cars pinata and was thrilled with the candy that came pouring out. The picture from his mortuary service was taken that day.

Devon was always a sweet, happy boy. He loved going to "school" (daycare) to see his friends, at least until he met Emma. Then he would rather play with her. He loved going to nursery and would proudly show me things he made in there. One of my favorites was when they learned Jesus is the Good Shepherd, so they glued cotton balls to a sheep outlined on a piece of paper. He made me pet it and told me, "Mommy, soft"
Of course he wasn't always "soft" with animals. He was known to stand with his hands on his hips and yell "Shut up Rosie" at Princess and Bandit. (Thanks again Justin)
He loved to stop and smell the roses. Literally. And he didn't limit himself to roses. Any flower, or bush, or blade of grass growing in a crack in the sidewalk had to be sniffed and appreciated. I was significantly less enthused about kneeling on the sidewalk on Dobson and smelling a blade of grass as cars whizzed by and drivers looked at me as though I had lost my mind. But I'm glad I did, it's a favorite memory of mine now.

Well, I think this particular novel is long enough, so I'll end here for now. Besides, Nate wants some attention, and I don't think he's going to stop pulling my hair til he gets some

Chompers!

Today we were getting ready and packed up to take Nathan's first camping trip. Nathan was sitting on the kitchen counter as I packed some yummy grapes and strawberries. All of a sudden, I looked over at him, giggling as usual and noticed something strange. It almost looked like he had succeded in getting something off the counter and into his mouth, as he had been trying to for the past 30 min. Well, I looked in his mouth and couldn't believe what I saw. 2 white sopts on his bottom gums. My big little man child has cut his first 2 teeth!!!!!

I've been a slacker

Ok, I know that I haven't posted in forever, and I'm sorry. I did have a post about our trip to Illinois last month, but the computer ate it. Long story short, we drove 26 hours the week before Nate turned 4 months old to visit the Lines family, and celebrate Jackson's second birthday. We had so so much fun out there. We got to party like rockstars with Jack, Dan and I went on a group date with Sara and Justin and a bunch of couples in their ward for Valentines Day, Nate got to be babysat, so that his mom and dad could go on our first date since he was born, then he was babysat again so that we could go on our second date since he's been born. We had a lot of fun visiting everyone, and we got to do a lot of fun stuff, like visiting the orchid show at the St. Louis botanical garden, and we went to the St. Louis Zoo!!! You all remember how much I LOVE zoos. :)
Since we've been home, lots of stuff has been going on too. Nate keeps growing and growing and growing. He is currently 27inches long and 15 lbs. 13 oz. He continues to be a happy little boy, filled with wonder at the world around him. He has started some solids, and can currently eat rice cereal, carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. All of which I have made for him. Yay!
We are also spending more time with Nate's cousins lately. Lilly is growing like a weed, and now stands with support, and pulls herself up. And we're going to visit the Phoenix Zoo with cousin Elara next week!! Yay! (you may remember that I LOVE zoos, I just thought I'd point it out in case you couldn't tell)
Oh, and Farmer Nate is growing a garden. We planted some bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, tomatoes, onions and basil so far. It was so cute, the day we went to get our seeds and plants, I dressed him in just overalls, and Farmer Nate was off to get his plants. He mainly does supervisory jobs. I lay his blanket out on the ground with his toys and he watches to make sure that we're planting his garden properly.
Well, Nate wearies of all the typing. He's now summoning me to play with him!

lil smarty pants

I absolutely CANNOT belive how big my little man has gotten over the last few months. Today at church someone asked how old Nate is, and I realized that he's almost 4 months old. Seriously, where has the time gone???? He's just tooo big. Holding his head up on his own, recognizing me, Dan, my dad, cousin Lilly and Spencer. And today I noticed that he knows exactly what's going on at lunchtime. I was getting ready to feed him and as soon as he saw my reach up under my shirt, he got all excited and strated making little fishy faces, opening and closing his mouth. He figured out what I was doing and what it meant for him! I love my little guy, all 15lbs of him. That's right, 15 pounds!! He's ginormous! And while I love seeing all the new things he can do, and watching him grow, a part of me is sad that he won't just stay my tiny little baby.

Picture marathon of Nate and his cousins

A week and a half ago, when Nate rolled over for the first time, his cousin Elara was spending the morning with us. She is such a sweetie! She's a little older than Nate since she was born late in September.
I thought it was so cute. They both rolled onto their sides and started babbling at each other.

And they had tummy time

And when Nate gave up in frustration, Elara looked over and offered moral support. "Come on Nate, you can do it. It's easy"

Both enjoyed a bit of binky time as well

And this week we've been watching Lilly, she's quite a bit older. She's already 7 months old, whereas my little guy (my 15pound giant little guy) is only 3.5 months.

Lilly was fortunate enough to be born with a full head of long, luxerious hair. "Hey man, what's up with your head? It's all bald!"

At this point, I'm getting Nate dressed to go to the zoo. When I left to pick Lilly up, Nate started crying, so Dan got out the formula and mixed him up a bottle. Turns out he wasn't really all that hungry, so I took the mostly full bottle, set it aside and started dressing Nate. Lilly crawled over, picked up Nate's mostly full bottle and went to town on that bad boy! Way to go Lilly, that'll teach Nate to leave his bottles laying around!

The animal in the back is a wallaby. This was soooooo frusterating b/c everytime I got the kiddos to look at the camera, or smile or anything, the wallabys in the background would hop away.

Lilly, 'hatching' with the other osteriches

Nate was almost eaten by a lion

And the two sweetest, most precios pearls

The monkey started out in the bush behind them, then jumped onto the rope RIGHT NEXT TO DAN & NATE!!! Literally less than a foot away.

So, that's pretty much what we've been up to lately. Nate and Elara had a good time together.
I'm glad he has a cousin so close to his own age. And Lilly is always fun to hang out with. She's working on her 3rd and 4th teeth!!! So cute when she smiles and laughs. Nate can't wait for summer to get here so that he can go visit his other cousins, Madi and Jack!

first food

Nate is getting waaaayyyyy too big. The night before last, I mashed up some of the zucchini we had for dinner and fed him a couple of baby bites. After he got over the initial shock of a different texture and taste, he seemed to really enjoy it. I had been thinking that I want to put off solids for as long as I can, but I think Nate is reay for them.
It's so weird. With Devon I remember being told that babies don't need any solids until they are 6 months old. Now everyone is starting solids at 4 months. And I powdered that little bottom whenever he started getting pink. Now I hear that powder is bad for babies b/c they can inhale it and it can bother their lungs.
I just feel weird that my mom info is already outdated. I mean, Devon was only born 5 years ago. Shouldn't I still be in the know?

Big Boy!!!

This is my 3 month old baby, holding up his own bottle all by himself!!! This happened while I was on antibiotics for a week. Dan was feeding him on our bed when Nate reached out and pushed Dan's hand away, and held up his own bottle all by himself! All by himself!!!!

craziness......

Ok, I know that I've been a major slacker around here lately. What can I say? I can only support one online addiction at a time! LOL...anyway, I have recently discovered the wonderful world of babycenter.com groups and messaging boards. And it takes a lot of time to keep up with all 3257 people on all the boards I'm a member of.
Although I have been busy in real life too. Monday, Dan and I watched Elara in the morning, and we had SO much fun. She was such a happy, fun little girl and the two kiddos had a bunch of fun together. On a related note, Nate rolled over for the first time on Monday. I know that he's been mobile for a while now, but I've never seen it. He's just always in a different spot and different position when he wakes up vs. when I put him to bed. So, on the one hand, I was really really excited to see him roll over. But, his timing sucked. I was holding Elara, sitting on the ground with my legs crossed. Nate was on a blue mat, covered with blankets when he rolled over and fell onto the tile! I freaked out and managed to scare both babies into a frenzy of tears and screams, but Nate wasn't hurt at all.
In other news, my brother, Spencer, has decided that he wants to be a chef, so Dad bought him a Williams Sonoma cookbook. We decided to make braised lamb shoulder chops, that took over 2 hours with prep/cook time. So, when we were all done and we plated up the food it looked delicious. The meat was sooo tender and the sacue was delicious. The only problem: neither of us had ever eaten lamb. Turn out, we don't like lamb. So, after all that, we ended up going out for McDonalds! Good times. At least we got a funny story out of it, and Dad really loved it.

grapefruit

I've got to say, I LOVE the sweet, deliciousness of grapefruit. They're 3 for a dollar at Sunflower Farmer's Market right now and I've been averaging 2-3 per day. It's just something about the yummy goodness that I can't resist.
My advice for today: eat a grapefruit. It will make you happy in your soul!

check out this cool giveaway

This stroller is so super nice. Everyone needs to check it out. It's really customizable, and seems like a top-of-the-line product. I may not need it right ths minute, but I still hope I win b/c in the next 18months I bet I will use it! :)

http://inevergrewup.net/giveaway-25-bumbleride-indie-stroller/

Goofy, Giggling Guys

I recently figured out how to shoot video clips from my camera. That was a couple of weeks ago, around Christmas time. Now that I've realized how to put them here on my blog, there's no stopping me. Muah, hah, ha......

Seriously though, I love this. Especially the part where Dan wipes Nate's drool off his chin and onto his shoulder.

Bad Steroids

I've got to say I do NOT enjoy taking steroids.
I picked up a bug somewhere the week after Christmas. I thought it was gone and done, but it came back to kick my trash this week. Long story short, I ended up in urgent care b/c I couldn't get an apt, and my throat/face/mouth was so swollen I looked like a chipmunk and couldn't completely close my mouth. Turns out I picked up a bug that's been going around. Apparently this particular bug likes turning from a cough/cold into bronchitis/laryngitis which it did in my case. So, when I find out where/who this pain in the butt bug came from I'm going to kick their trash!!!
This makes the second night in a row that I took my steroid pack (fights the bronchial infection) and was totally wired. Last night I was up til 5am cleaning and doing laundry. Tonight it's almost 3 am and I'm just settling down. The worst part is that with the meds I'm on I can't nurse. So Nate gets primarily formula for the next week cause I only had a 2-3 day reserve in the freezer.
I just can't figure out where this crap came from. I haven't been around anyone I'm not related to lately. And everyone I know obviously knows that I have a baby so I can't imagine that a friend/family member would knowingly and willingly expose my infant to such a nasty illness.
I just hope that I don't end up with a diminished supply by the end of the week. I will be INCREDIBLY PISSED OFF if I end up having to give up breastfeeding and switch to formula.
Well, enough of this sleepy, crazy rambling (as a result of the steroids and Nate's schedule I got a grand total of 4 1/2 hours sleep last night). I think I'm going to lay in bed in the dark until I get too bored to stay up any longer. Happy Thursday to all, and to all a good-night!

the holidaze

Things have been going pretty nonstop around here. The Andersons and the Lines's were here for Christmas, and that was a BLAST!!! Sara, in an effort to "get back at me for stealing her birthday" decided to bless baby Madi in our ward with Nathan. Little does she realize that I thought it was awesome. I've been to quite a few baby blessings in my day, and I've always thought that they were pretty cool. But having my own son being blessed was such a new experience. There is literally nothing that I can compare it to, and I was in tears. I am so, so grateful for the restored gospel and all the ways it blesses my life. I am also grateful for my sweet husband who does everything he can for our family and makes sure that he is always worthy to exercise his Priesthood. I'm also grateful for the love of my family. My dad even came, all dressed up in his Sunday best. And my Aunt Patty. She may not understand my beilefs, but she came to support me and my son on a day that was special for him.
Later that night, we had 'second Christmas.' That grew to definately unexpected proportions. My original plan was to have Mom and Dad, with all their kids/families at Dad's house with me, Dan and Spencer. It turned into a 'the more the merrier' type deal with Sara's in-laws, a friend, Dan's grandparents, etc. I was worried about feeding everyone, but we ended up not only having enough, but having leftovers too. It was my 'second Christmas' miracle.
Speaking of miracles, Dan and I got the oportunity to go out, just the two of us, to the Temple. Dan ended up getting sick, and I went by myself with the extended Anderson fam. Poor guy. I had an awesome time though. We haven't made it to the Temple since Nate was born, almost 3 months ago. And I've not been with a family group doing family names before. That was a really special feeling. Somehow it was a different feeling, knowing that these were people I night have met, had I been alive and in the family a hundred years ago, versus doing work for some random person. I know that we're all spirit siblings, but it's neat to feel like there's a connection. And Sara promised to help me do the work for my own family after she pointed out that on mom's side, I'm the first who can do it all. Wow, that feels like a big responsibilty, but Sara says it'll be worth it. So, we'll see how it turns out.
New Year's Eve was so much fun. Every year, Dan's extended family gets together and plays board games to bring in the new year. This year I was watching Lilly for Suzanne, she went to Tempe Town Lake, or the block party, I think. Either way, she came along, and she and Nate were fun, but challenging. I managed to play apples to apples, balancing Lilly's bottle with my chin as I threw out and drew cards. I fed Nate while playing the bean game one handed, and when asked for a binky for Nate, I produced one from my pocket, along with Lilly's socks. After the kids fell asleep, we played Catch Phrase until the wee hours of the morning. We only broke it up because both babies woke up crying around 4am. So, we said our good-byes, returned a happy, alert Lilly to her sleeping mother, and headed home.
Well, I think this has been quite lond enough, so I'll end here for now. Starting late next week we'll have internet in our room, so I should be able to post more often and hoepfully avoid these novelesque ramblings!