Daddy & Anders

Here are some pictures of Anders & Daddy from the past the few weeks.

Anders likes hanging on to his suitcase & riding around... 

 Helping Daddy build the fireplace surround -- using the electric drill & wearing the proper ear protection (of course!)...

More work with Daddy, this time needing proper eye protection...

 Little snuggling in the morning with Daddy...

Anders is 20 months old

Anders is now 20 months old and such a big boy.  It is crazy to think that he will be turning TWO in less than 4 months...and even crazier to realize that we will be having a baby girl around that same time!  My due date is August 8th, the day after Anders' birthday.  I am hoping that they do not share their birthday's, but instead we will just have a busy week or two of birthday parties in our household. 

So since I have not blogged yet about being pregnant, this is the short update:  Todd & I are VERY excited!    In December, we told our families the surprising news that I was pregnant, by having Anders wear a "Big Brother" shirt.  I was MUCH more sick this time around and pretty consumed by puking and feeling awful from week 6 to week 18 or 19, but am so thankful to be over it now and feeling good.  From pretty early on, we started talking to Anders about the baby.  He kisses my belly and says "baby", and he knows that the baby is a girl.  Within two weeks of knowing we were having a girl, her closet was stocked with new clothes -- lots of pinks & purples and such adorable things.  One of my favorites is a pair of sparkly-pink toms shoes that my Aunt Barb mailed to us right after we found out.  Anders often goes and finds the shoes in her closet and brings them to me saying "girl" and sometimes put them up against my belly.  

Anders is talking more & more and can say & point out most colors.  He knows yellow (which is my favorite to hear him say), orange, aqua, blue, green, red, black, purple, and brown (still working on pink, gray & white).  He can point to most of his body parts (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, chin, hands, fingers, foot, toes, head, belly, knees, etc) but only says the words: eye, belly button, belly and boobies (yes, isn't that great).  I won't be able to remember all the other words & animal noises that he now uses, but here are some new ones: tractor, car keys, bath, shower, Bella, poop, horse, bunny, Elmo, choo-choo, cheese, oatmeal, juice, cracker, an elephant noise, baa, night-night, light, outside, as well as a very LOUD scream that means "I want that now".    

Outside mowing the sidewalks...

 Our sweet boy with his two closest friends, monk-monk & froggie...

 Yes, he likes chewing on the toothpaste tube...

 One day while cooking in the kitchen, I turned around to find the fridge door open and his cars all lined up...

 Riding his little bike...

Splish-Splash FUN!

While Anders was napping, Dad & I assembled his new water/sand play table.  We then left to get sand & some gardening items, and came back home to find Anders awake and playing.  He was already soaked and having a blast. We decided to not introduce the sand today, but just water was enough fun for him.  He loved flinging the water towards Grammie, and also dumping it down the front of himself...

 We took off his shirt, pants...

 and then his diaper too...

We planted different herbs and Anders "helped" by carrying the pots around -- he gave a whole new meaning to organic planting!

Sitting on the pot...

 Blowing Grammie sweet kisses...

 Peeing on the deck and saying "Uh-oh!"...

 Still thinking it is SO funny that he is naked & free!

 SPLISH-SPLASH!

 Then off to bath time, after an afternoon of playing hard -- NOTE: Grammie let him take Froggie & Monk-Monk into the bath with him...

Beautiful Spring Morning

I am sitting outside, on our back deck, underneath the big umbrella, and loving this spring weather.  Knowing Nashville, it will probably snow one last time, but for now I am soaking up the beautiful day.  Anders played out on the back deck this morning while I folded laundry and loaded the dishwasher (you'll see I got him dressed between his playing, and he goes from PJ's to his outfit for the day)...  

 Pressing his face against the glass and making funny faces...

 Then a sweet face...

Random pictures...

Anders plugging his ears while sitting on the potty -- kind of funny, because he is wearing a shirt that says Music 2 My Ears...guess he did not like the song Daddy was playing on the guitar.

Hanging out with Daddy...

Anders pretending to talk to Grammie on the phone, I think he is saying to her "please come visit, and take me to get my haircut!"

These pictures CRACK me up!

So while Anders' Grandma was here, she got Anders asleep for all naps and bedtimes.  What a nice break for me!?!  She wants to have every minute with him that she can get, and I appreciate the help.  But Anders was not going to bed very quickly for her each night.  I know on this night, it was at least a 2.5 hour process.  I wandered why he wasn't settling down and going to sleep for her, and then Wanda showed me these pictures she had taken of Anders while rocking him to sleep...

ANDERS saying:  "SUCKER!  I know how to keep Grandma here for hours, just rocking me and singing to me!"    

ANDERS:  "this is AWESOME!" (do you see his pure joy and pride?) 

Some Grandma time

Anders' Grandma (Todd's mom) showed up on Wednesday and stayed thru the weekend.  She got LOTS of quality time with Anders as I went into work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (got caught up on something which was wonderful).  I was thrilled to have free babysitting!  We also had some fun and went to the zoo, out to eat, and to Anders' My Gym class. 

Anders with his new truck from great-Aunt Joyce...

 Grandma took these next two pictures, and I just think they are the CUTEST...

 At the ZOO: We have gone in to see the birds before, but never have they landed on our heads and arms...they were in the mood this morning and KEPT landing on us!  Luckily they didn't pick Anders, because I think it might have freaked him out.  He just checked them out from a close, but safe distance.

 Grandma with TWO birds on her head...

 The meerkat observation...

 Anders riding home & watching a DVD, loving his new minivan...(I confess, I kind of love it too)