First Birthday

Yeah! Anderson is now one! Since his birthday fell on a Friday, we actually held his party on January 9th (Grandpa's birthday). January 9th is also the anniversary of when we got to feed him for the first time. My how his eating habits have changed! He had a very successful 1st Birthday Party at Tumbleweed Park. He isn't quite old enough to enjoy the fun stuff in Playtopia, but his older friends were able to have fun. Pictures, of course, say it best......

1st Cake (yes, I decorated it)

with Nana & my birthday hat

I can't have cake & my pacifier?

What is this whipping cream frosting stuff?

Mom, Dad, Back off - this is my cake.

This is good.

Opening presents

Look out world, I'm cruising now!

Help me reach my goal!Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

Almost 1 year old!

It has been too long since I have posted an update. As Anderson gets more mobile, it gets harder and harder to just 'sit' and do something. Yes - Anderson is very mobile! For the longest time it was the army crawl. We were beginning to think that he was going to skip crawling on all fours, but in just the last couple of weeks he started to crawl. Look out world - here he comes even faster! Of course he is also walking - as long as he is holding on to something. He can stand for a few seconds on his own, and if he isn't concentrating he can also take about two steps before falling!

November proved to be a harder month then I was expecting. Just think, a year ago we were still in the hospital. A year ago tomorrow (January 3rd) was when I started what would amount to my bleed that would put us into labor & delivery. In November as we got closer to the anniversary of when we went into the hospital, I found myself getting more and more emotional. It was like all of the nerves from a year ago finally hit me. On the anniversary of when we went into the hospital for the long haul, I found that I could not be away from Anderson. I took him with me to work that day (thankfully it was the day before Thanksgiving). I was crying all the time because it dawned in me how close we could have come to losing him (& some say me).

We have had a lot to be Thankful for in 2010. Anderson is a bundle of joy - even when he gets annoying. Yes - annoying - eating Sedona's dog food, playing in her water, changing the sound system, changing the TV settings, etc. On my birthday we went to Famous Dave's and we were watching him chow-down on chicken & ribs. We were in awe that a year ago we were waiting for him - and now here sits this little boy. It still never ceases to dazzle us.

I know - skip the stories, on to the pictures. Here was our attempt at Santa pictures. First, let me explain that we go to Chick-fil-A just about every Saturday for lunch and Anderson is very comfortable with the cow. Not so comfortable with Santa.....

With Santa Cow

Not-so happy with Santa



Sorry the pics are small, I scanned them in and didn't take the time to crop them. Here are a few others from this fall.

11/19/10 watching mom & dad get ready in the morning



11/22/10 Very happy about new wagon!

11/28/10 Enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers



Other end of year news..... we are done with the cranial reshaping band! No more hat! His last appointment was on December 30, 3010! Perfect timing. Of course we then realized that he needed a hair cut. We took the clippers to the back on December 31st for his first haircut! I'll post those pictures, along with some from Christmas next time. I hear him calling from his nap.......

9 Months

Ahh.....I feel like a broken record. Where is the time going? I am running so behind! Seriously! Anderson has grown up SO much since the last time I posted. Somehow in there is turned 9 months!!!! At his appointment last week we learned he is long a lean. At the 95%, he is clocking in at 29 inches. Yup - that means it is time to upgrade out of the infant carrier car seat! His weight, on the other hand, is in the 10% area, at 16 lbs and 8 ounces. If you are keeping track he only gained 2 and a half pounds in the last 3 months.

The doctor isn't worried, though, because he is eating great - he just cannot stop moving!! He is everywhere. I have a whole embarrassing story about being in the bathroom, but I will spare you the details. The funniest is when he takes off when you are coming after him. Granted, he is still just doing the army crawl, but I think he is going to go from that to standing. He is starting to pull himself up when I am on the floor.

Did I mention food? He is willing to try anything. Vegetables. Fruits. French fries. Avocado. He is a great eater!! Yeah!

In the last couple of months we also travelled to Maine for Jessica & Jeff's wedding ceremony. It was SO beautiful, meaningful, romantic - just wonderful. It even featured a hurricane --- and beautiful blue sky! It was great getting to see their new house and tons of the family finally got to meet Little Dude.

Oh - and Anderson has his cranial reshaping band. He doesn't seem to have any issues with it.

Sporting Iowa State gear to start the season

Love happy couple at their rehearsal dinner (9/3/10)

Silly Sisters

Too cute! 09/04/10

Hmmm cake

With Great Auntie Melanie (9/4/10)

Chilling with dad while everyone was decorating.

The fashion plate bride arriving.

With the parents. Smile people.

Looking adoringly.....

Time to eat yet? Oh - shh, it's the ceremony.

Playing with Nana.

Anderson with the Decke-Alflen Grandparents

We are all smiling!

Four generations!

Yes - it's a mini Viking's helmet (9/26/10)

I am SO cute!

There are a million more stories, but I wanted to post something. So.......

This Summer

Anyone who thinks that folks who work in education have it easy over the summer, clearly never worked for our department. That's okay. It was good to be busy - still is. Anderson has been growing and changing so quickly it is hard to keep up. Literally. Overnight this week it seems he mastered the army crawl. Gone are the days of just putting him on the floor and relaxing on the couch. You turn away for a second and he has moved on to somewhere else. He did have some other adventures this summer and it is more fun to show it in pictures.....

Mackenzie's 1st Birthday Party 7/17/10

Does this party hat make me look stupid?

1st time testing feet in a pool

Dave grew watermelon! 7/27/10

They didn't taste as good as they looked.

Standing is a new favorite past time. 7/28/10

What do you mean babies don't smile all the time?

8/8/10

So many toys!

Peas are good. Can I feed myself?

8/8/10

Friends 8/14/10

Believe it or not he arranged himself and the stuff animals. I went in to check on him and that is how they were all arranged. Very cute!

Anderson is 6 Months Old

Where did the last 6 months go? Six months ago I was wrapping up my two month hospital stay and Anderson was about half a week into his 21 day stay. I don't think you can tell by looking at us now! True he is a little on the small size when it comes to weight, but otherwise - he is a total rock star! At his 6 month visit this week he clocked in at 14 pounds (25%) and 26.5 inches (90%). He is long and lean! Dave & Anderson both got shots while we were there. It was kinda cute.

I am going to start with pictures from Father's Day. This is Anderson's first artwork. He made it with chocolate pudding. We decided a picture was needed because we do not know if it will eventually grow mold.....

6/19/10 Looking like Grandpa Butch

Playing.... Anderson really likes to play.

7/4/10

7/5/10 - A happy baby

Do you think he has grown over the last 6 months?

1/28/10

7/5/10 - now he won't even sit still for the pic!

7/5/10 - yup - he has grown.

You can barely see Dave's hands now!

Over Five Months

We hit the five month mark a few weeks back. Since there were no doctor's visits at that point we have to go with his weight from the Wii Fit Plus - which was 12 pounds 8 ounces. Anderson is eating more and taking much longer on the breast when he is really hungry. Just now he ate for almost an hour - and he was sucking almost that whole time!

Enough talk. I know you want pictures. Last weekend we took Anderson to the Phoenix Zoo. It was actually his second trip, but as you can see, what a difference a couple of months make. Jessica and I took him the first week in April. Even his view was different!

3/31/10

6/12/10

I think he enjoyed the 2nd trip more.

Anderson is starting to hit some more milestones as we move closer to the half year mark! For the record it was last Father's Day that we found out we were pregnant. Anyway. He has found his feet. Rolling over is a new favorite past time.  Tummy time is super fun. It is getting harder to take pictures because he is always moving!

6/6/10

6/6/10 - rest time

6/13/10

And maybe the best milestone is he is trying really hard to laugh!!