New Years Resolutions....2012

I'd like to say that my life is so sweet that I don't NEED any resolutions this year...unfortunately, that is not exactly the case. Though my life IS pretty sweet, there is always room for improvement, right???

Ok, so here are my top 3 (if I write them down, I have to follow through :)

1. Be more patient - my kids and my husband will appreciate this one. I used to be pretty patient, but somehow that has faded away in recent years. I want to get back to that easy going person that is fun to be around.

2. Add more structure to our days - the kids are getting older and need to be able to count on certain things. Bedtime routines don't just naturally happen!

3. Make more time for myself - the hardest of all three!! This also doesn't happen naturally.

Oh, let's add a #4 for good measure...keep up with the blog. It has been fun to read over past posts and remember how much fun our family has had. I love my kids, husband, family and friends! Happy New Year to you all!!!

Carter James Anderson

Yes, I know...I have dropped off the face of the blog. Oh well...time to pick back up and move forward.

First things first...Carter was born on Aug 31, 2011. He was 9 lbs 4 oz. I was induced on my due date, and it's a good thing...he was huge! I went in to be induced at 7am, got my room at 8, pitocin at 8:15, epidural at 9...7 pushes and he was here at 10:10am. Easy-peasy. He was (and still is) BEAUTIFUL! This picture was taken about 20 minutes after he was born.


Here are some things about his first 4 months with us...

-He doesn't cry for no reason. He's either hungry, tired, or needs to be changed.
-He's super slobbery. Sometimes I think he's a St Bernard disguised as a baby.
-He HATES a wet diaper. And he pees a LOT.
-He looks at Grace and Carson like they are super stars.
-Grandpa Anderson was the first to make him smile.
-He has dark hair.
-His eyes are still blue, but they are blue like Carson's were, not like Grace's. So I think they'll probably change.
-He LOVES the bath. He only cried during the first 3 or 4. Now he loves it!
-He hates Walmart. He has cried EVERY time I've taken him.
-He loves when Jake plays guitar. He studies Jake's hands and has been caught playing air guitar.
-He often sleeps with his eyes partially open...like his dad.
-He is a snuggler...and he's warm and chubby

I could go on and on and on....I LOVE HIM! I cannot imagine our family without him. He was the 4th greatest decision of my life.

love.

Wedgies...

Just a quick note...

Jake gave Carson a wedgie this morning, so naturally Carson decided to go around the house giving us ALL wedgies (thanks dad)! When he got to Grace, I braced myself for a fight. Instead, she came up to me and excitedly said "mom, Carson pulled my pants up for me!!!".

I love them!!!

Its a BOY!!!

In case you don't already know....we are expecting our third, and final, baby in August. I've kept it off Facebook for now, it just feels too personal for me to jot down in a random status update. As of today, we can officially stop calling him an "it". He is officially a HE and Carson is quite pleased! I could have sworn he was a she...until a couple weeks ago and the heartburn set in :/ then I second guessed myself! Jake was right all along (as he has pointed out SEVERAL times today). Grace got to go with us to the ultrasound while Carson was in preschool. When we picked him up, she said "we get a baby brother" and Carson jumped for joy (literally).

Anyway, we are very happy and excited to welcome this little boy in to our family. Yay!!

Jingle Bell Rock

This year at the Anderson Christmas party, each family did a little skit. Luckily, Jake and Carson like to perform, so they took center stage. Grace and I played the jingle bells.

*As a side note, Grace's hairclip was falling out, so I put it in my hair and forgot it was there. Festive, yes....fashionable for a 30something, not really. :)

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HE'S FIVE!!! SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!

Carson was SO excited to turn five this year!! As a matter of fact, he's STILL excited about being five. He asks every day about this or that "that I used to do when I was four". Anyway, we had a trip to the Pumpkin Patch with the preschool that day, so it was kind of like a built in party. We celebrated with his family gifts in the morning before Jake went to work, then went to the Pumpkin Patch with his preschool friends and then had a few friends over for cake and ice cream in the early evening...easy and FUN!

I made this banner to hang above the kitchen

Carson saw the letters before I had them attached and sewn together and he said "Mom, where's the 'C'? How will everyone know it's MY birthday if it doesn't say 'Happy Birthday Carson'? And how will they know I am FIVE?"

So he woke up to this:

He was very specific in wanting a "black cake with a yellow circle and then blue". I'm pretty sure he meant he wanted a black tier, a yellow tier, and a blue tier, but no way was I going to make a 3 tier cake because that's what he 'designed' on the toys r us website! So I improvised and came up with this.




Happy Birthday to an amazing, AMAZING boy!!!

I'll have to post about the Pumpkin Patch on another day...it's time for bed!

Is October Really OVER???

I cannot believe how busy we are these days! We have had so much fun stuff going on over the past few months and I haven't written about ANY of it! Part of my problem is that I get started writing and then get interrupted and never go back (you should see how many 'drafts' I have with 3 lines written). I don't think I'm a very good writer, so if I don't post it right away and have to go back and finish, chances are, I'll re-read it and think "duh that's dumb" and start a new post and never finish....it's a horrible cycle!!

Anyway, I'll just post some short version stories...


Carson and Grace working on some art




Carson's finished product (a tree and some clouds)