Anders: Age 13 Months

Now that Anders 13 months, he is really more of a "toddler" than a "baby". Just today he was playing in the family room while we were enjoying the Broncos game. He must have played for about 30 minutes, basically by himself.

What does he do to keep himself occupied?

Good question.

Stack blocks, for one. This is a new skill and it's pretty cute. Stand up and sit down and try to take steps, for another. Climb on anything that is stationary (the TV stand, the fireplace, bookshelves, chairs...). Press the buttons on the TV/DVD player, which makes mom & dad crazy. Pulls Haiku's tail. And just plays with other toys and looks absolutely cute doing it.

Although he is able to play by himself for periods of time, most of the time he's tearing all over the house and I do my best to keep up with him. Mostly he just leaves a path of destruction in his wake and I have a sore back from trying to keep up with him & his mess.

He's tired by 6:30pm and sleeps until 7am or later. He still takes 2 two hour naps during the day. And despite the fact that everyone tells me their baby gave up the morning nap around Anders' age, I think he'll still need it for a few more months.

I know I do.

Dress in the Dark

This past week was Homecoming Week at Joel's school. Wednesday was "Dress in the Dark" day, which basically means wear a totally crazy, tacky outfit. I think Joel would have scored a "10" for creativity. The sad part is, his mom had an equally "creative" outfit, and I neglected to get a picture.

On Thursday, they had a "Last Teacher Standing" comedy show again. You might remember that Joel won it 3 years ago. Last year he should have won again, but lost in a "rap off" when the judges couldn't decide who won the comic routine. He was robbed.

This year was his year again. He won, hands down. And Anders even got to appear on stage. It was lots of fun and the kids just love to have him as a teacher. Wouldn't you?

A Yearly Tradition

Last year, I posted some pictures of Anders & Joel watching Broncos Football. Time for some pictures from this year's season.





Although I don't have it pictured here, Anders does know how to throw his arms up in the air when we say "Touchdown!".

What a difference a year makes.

A Walk in the Woods

Today was the perfect day for a trip to the mountains. People who live in Denver are notorious for having the beautiful mountains right next door and never going. So, we went against the trend and headed for the mountains.

Except everyone else seemed to have the same exact idea today.

It didn't damper our fun, though. We packed up the old mini-van and headed to one of our favorite spots: Echo Lake at the base of Mount Evans. It's about a 45 minute drive from our house and the perfect spot for a leisurely walk, picnicking, and for Haiku to run amuck.

I was behind the camera today and had lots of fun taking pictures with Joel's camera. Here are a few from today.





We didn't stay very long, but it was a great trip. Haiku had fun swimming in the lake, Anders enjoyed being in the backpack--he's high enough up to see what's going on, and Joel & I enjoyed the slower pace of life, even if it was only for a few hours.

It was such a good time, we might even attempt a repeat next weekend (even if everyone else has the same idea).

Sailing

My parent's just returned from a 10 day trip on their sailboat on Lake Michigan. My mom takes great pictures and does some fun things with them on her blog. Check it out! And let her know you stopped by!

Sickness

I'm really sad tonight because Anders is sick. It makes me so sad to see him suffer. He caught some virus from who knows where and has had a fever off and on for the last two days and now a rash that has come and gone throughout the day. The doctor said we should keep him away from people for a few days. Well, except for me.

I get to stay home with him all day. For the next two days. Alone.

Which is fine, because I'm his mom. And the upside is, he's a little more snuggly than normal. (Which is saying a lot). And I'll take a few snuggles here and there when I can get them.

But, it also bums me out because we're missing out on some fun stuff. Like today.

We stayed home from my Bible Study. It was only week #2 of a study in Revelation and I really didn't want to miss. And, we were supposed to watch my friend's daughter, like we do every Wednesday (she watches Anders on Tuesdays & I watch one of her kids on Wednesdays--it works great), but decided we better not risk exposing her to his germs.

Tomorrow I was supposed to watch another friend's baby (like I usually do on Thursdays--this is my way of getting my girl fix--playing with dolls, dressing them in pink...). But no go tomorrow. Too contagious.

Friday I was supposed to go out to lunch and to the mall with a friend and her son. And I'm sure we would have squeezed some Rock Band in during nap time. But again, no go. He'll still most likely be contagious. And better to be safe, than sorry.

I'm not really a sit at home and do nothing kind of person. Can you tell?

So tonight as I was choosing to feel a bit sorry for myself, and mostly sorry for Anders, I had a realization (or maybe a Revelation?): God doesn't like it when we're spiritually sick; we miss out on some good stuff.

He gives us everything we need to make ourselves better, like medicine when we're physically sick. God gives us His Word, other believers, a church body, worship, prayer...and the list goes on. But just like medicine, we must take in His gifts in order to make ourselves better. Much like when we're physically sick and dependent on friends and loved ones, we must be fully dependent upon Him to heal our spiritual illness.

And I've realized tonight, I've got some work to do.

God, did you really have to make my son sick for me to realize this? A sticky note on my Bible would have sufficed.

A Week of Celebrating, Part 3

As I've uploaded and edited and even deleted pictures from the last couple of weeks, I have decided I could have Part 3, 4, 5 & 6 and maybe even 7 about Anders' week of celebrating. So for now, we'll just stop at 3. I do want you to keep reading my blog, after all.

My little Fish Face.

I call him Little Man.

Joel calls him Little Guy.

Often his name is Bubba.

Strangers call him "cute". And when he screams, "vocal" (like during our trip to Home Depot today).

At the end of the day, he's a true gift from God. And God gave him to me. To us.

I'm so blessed, that's all there is to it.

A Week of Celebrating, Part 2

Balloons make me feel young again, too. One of our neighbors brought this bouquet of balloons to Anders' party. It was a big hit.

This is another picture my friend Annadee took on his actual birthday. What a cute kid.

A Week of Celebrating, Part 1

Anders is now officially one. I'm officially old. Or at least I feel that way sometimes. And sometimes I feel young again. Like in a ball pit. Wouldn't you?

Oma & Opa got him this cute puzzle for his birthday. He loves it.

Some People's Kids

Some people's kids...

Make a mess while eating in public places.

Scream at the top of their lungs in public places, making quite the scene.

Throw temper tantrums in church.

Shriek loudly when they don't get their way.

Have food, dirt and other foreign debris on their clothing while out in public.

Wrestle with their friends over a toy.

All of the above simultaneously.

I am now a proud card-carrying member of the "Some People's Kids" Club.

Joining is easy. Dealing with the nasty glares from the "My Kid Will Never Do That" Club Members is the challenge. But don't worry. Those club members almost always convert to the "SPK" Club at some point.

I did.

Anders' Stats

Anders had his one year check up yesterday and I had this thought:

Why aren't the pediatrician's examination rooms baby proofed & filled with toys? It boggles my mind that I'm supposed to wrestle my one year old for 20-30 minutes while we wait for the doctor, then wait for the nurse to come back with shots, then wait, wait, wait! I was sweating when I left.

The good news is Anders is a healthy one year old! Here he is by the numbers:

23 lbs (59th%)
30.5 inches tall (71st%)
18 inches head (28th%)

He had 4 shots yesterday & did really well with it. I think it might be harder on me than it is on him. Well, maybe not.

I did learn something new though. "They" (whoever "they" are) are now recommending that babies stay in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years of age. So now that Anders is totally used to & loving seeing out the front window I'm supposed to turn him back around? I'm not sure that's a battle I'm ready to fight. Thoughts? Has anyone else heard this news?

On a much lighter note, Anders had a fun (although rather normal day) on his actual birthday. We spent the day with 4 of his friends & even had a chance to take a picture (it's a miracle!). We'll do some real celebrating with friends & family this weekend!


My friend, Annadee, is our official photographer (she's Elijah's mom--on the far left) & she has a website if you ever need a photographer. She's really good!

Time Again

It feels like it should be about that time again. It's not like I enjoy the work, the mess, the cost, the hassle. It's just in my blood.

The urge to move. To change. To throw everything up in the air and land where it may.

It's the opposite of my personality. But it's there nonetheless.

The problem is: we're not moving. Not anytime soon.

I'm not really sure why that's a "problem". It shouldn't be.

Last night as I was trying to fall asleep, I was thinking through all of the places I've lived. Here's a list. Get some coffee. It's a bit complicated.

-Born: Ft. Hood, Texas, stayed for 18 months
-Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, 6 months
-Giessen, Germany, 3 years (Preschool)
-Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, 2 years (Kindergarten & 1st grade)
-West Point, New York, 4 years (2nd-5th grade)
-Wurzburg, Germany, 2 years (6th & 7th grade)
-Wiesbaden, Germany, 2 years (8th & 9th grade)
-Aurora, Colorado (10th-12th grade) Graduated from Smoky Hill High School in '97
-Chicago, Illinois (College) Graduated from North Park University in '01
Sidenote: my parents moved to Batavia, IL for the first 2 years of college and then back to Colorado for the last 2 years of college
-Littleton, Colorado (1st year of teaching) Yes, I lived with my parents for 1 year after college. It was great. I'm so glad I did.
Sidenote: my parents moved to Wisconsin after this year and have lived there ever since
-Lakewood, Colorado (2nd-3rd year of teaching) Lived with a great friend in an apartment
Married: May 2004 & moved to an apartment in the city in which we now live.
-Summer 2006: moved into the house we currently live in, in said city.

Can you see now why I just get the urge every few years to mix it up?

I guess I'll just have to settle for rearranging the guest room.

One Year Ago...

One Year Ago Today...we had no idea what we were getting into. But what an amazing journey we've had. And it's only just beginning.

Anders Eric
08/28/08, 1:42am
7 lbs, 14oz. & 21 inches long

Happy Birthday, Little Man.

We love you more than you will ever know!

August

October &
December

January
& February

April
& May

July

First Birthday Pictures to come...

Summer Wrap-Up

I've been attempting to write this post for about a month now, but every time I sit down to write it, I am interrupted or I just can't consolidate all of the fun we had this summer into a short enouch blog-length worthy of publishing. So, here it is. I'm determined to hit "publish post" before Anders wakes up this morning.

Drumroll please.

Highlights of this summer (and there were many, many, many!)

*Running a camp at school in June for 30+ elementary age kids and working with some great teachers & counselors. Joel & Anders got to spend a week at home together.

*Joel was able to take a 2 week intensive class in Advanced Poetry writing. It was a crazy time to take it with camp going on and the amount of work he was already doing on his master's capstone project, but it was well worth the time, effort & money.

*In June, I spent a few days in Wisconsin with my family, while Joel spent a few days in Nebraska with his best bud from growing up. They were able to relive their bachelor days by grilling, playing golf and just relaxing. He drove to NE and then up to Wisconsin to spend a few days with my family, too!

*A few of the highlights from the trip are:
-Celebrating mom & dad's 40th wedding anniversary--all of the adults went out to a nice
German restaurant in downtown Milwaukee for dinner while my Aunt Connie stayed home
with the 3 kids.
-Watching Anders try to keep with his 2 cousins, Faith & Avery. He wasn't really sure what to
make of these crazy girls. But it sure was fun watching them all interact. The girls were so
kind and helpful with Anders, it was very sweet to watch.
-Spending an afternoon at a beautiful park picnicking, riding paddle boats & enjoying the
unusual cool weather.
-Taking family pictures...it was an adventure, but lots of fun, too.

*This spring my parents offered to watch Anders for 24 hours while we were there, so we didn't even think twice abotu saying yes. Joel & I left on Sunday afternoon and spent the afternoon in Madison. We had a great time, sans Anders, eating at an outdoor cafe, window shopping and just enjoying a quiet evening together. We stayed in a hotel overlooking the capital building and enjoyed every minute of our quiet morning before meeting up with family the next afternoon.

*We spent the next three days in the Wisconsin Dells (the Las Vegas of water parks as our neighbor likes to call it).


*After leaving the Dells, we drove to Grundy Center, Iowa, where my Aunt & Uncle live (and where my dad spent most of his childhood). It is a great small town and they were in the midst of celebrating their annual "Felix Grundy Days", including a Kiddie Parade themed "You're a Star". Anders won a $5 prize for best "float". How cute is that? He was even featured in their town newspaper! We had a great time visiting with family--including 2 of my 3 cousins from that family! We missed you, Anne!

*Jacobson visit in July--we had a great time spending a few days with the Jacobson family including a picnic lunch and "hike" around Echo Lake. Haiku joined in on the fun.






*Taking a number of trips to the zoo with friends & Grandma J.


*Watching countless movies together...here are a few of our favorites:
The Soloist
August Rush
New in Town
Breach
Stardust
Marley & Me
21
Slumdog Millionaire
Traitor

*Playing lots of Battleship & Yahtzee on our Wii

*Taking walks with Haiku down to the park...Haiku loves playing fetch and Anders enjoys swinging in the swings and sliding down the slides. A bath is always required after a visit to the park.

*Going swimming. Anders loves the pool! We've enrolled him in swim lessons for this fall.

*Spending lots & lots & lots of time with friends.

*Our most exciting event of the summer was probably Joel's graduation the University of Denver with his Master's Degree in Creative Writing! It has been a long 2.5 years as he's worked on this project, but I know he feels a great sense of accomplishment and I am very proud of him for all of his hard work!

Thanks for reading. It was fun writing. (And Anders is just starting to wake up for the day)