Big toothy grins!

If you look closely you can see those teeth! By the way, this is Ayden's trademark grin that he gives his Daddy every night when he gets home. So sweet!

Our Other Boys

It's been awhile since I have blogged about the dogs, lets face it, Ayden is much more interesting to hear about! Andy and Jack had birthdays last week, Andy is 7- offically considered a "senior" dog and Jack is 6. They are both really starting to show their age too, they act like grumpy middle-aged men! Jack stills growls at any and everything that moves, animals on TV, cars passing, etc. He has his "post" on the back of the couch, he stays there all day long except to go outside to potty. If you try to make him move, he growls at you. He growls if anyone gets too close while he is trying to nap, this includes Andy, me, Chris, or Ayden. He is so grumpy! Andy has been having behavioral problems, possibly worsened by old age. He cannot be left unattended in the house, he feels the need to "mark" his territory, interestingly enough, mostly just on Ayden's things. So far he has marked the carseat, bouncy seat, and one of Ayden's blankets. He knows he is in trouble, he won't come out of his cage when we come home. Sampson is probably our best behaved dog and we are giving him to Josh and Jess! (word of advice: 3 dogs is too much!) Anyway, besides all this they are actually pretty good with Ayden! He frequently gets kisses from them. Here are some pics of the boys.




Two of a kind

Ayden wants to play, Jack is not so sure!

Andy is much friendlier!

Jack on his throne

Handsome Sampson

New chompers!

Here is my best attempt at getting a picture of Ayden's new teeth.

Careful, he bites!

Back to reality...

Well my full-time stay at home mom days are officially over :(! I am being a little dramatic, I will admit, last night was my first night back to work and I don't have to go back again until Friday night. My first night went surprisingly well, we were pretty busy for a Saturday night, I got to use my nursing skills for the first time in months, luckily starting an IV is like riding a bike, it just comes back to you! I also had a labor patient who delivered around 2 AM, it was a good experience for me to have a delivery my first night back. I enjoyed being in the role of nurse again and of course seeing all my friends. I made it through on caffiene and adrenaline until around 5AM when I had to start slapping myself to stay awake! (I didn't sleep at all yesterday!).

Chris did great with Ayden, for those of you who don't know, it was his first time to have Ayden alone for more than an hour or so. I don't think Chris slept much, he said he was afraid he wouldn't hear Ayden crying and just couldn't relax, I remember feeling that way too when Ayden was first born. Anyway the important thing is we all made it through our first night without incident, here's hoping the transition continues to remain so smooth!

Giving mommy sweet bye-bye love before leaving for work

Look what Ayden's doing!

Ayden is able to sit up for short amounts of time while holding onto a toy (note the secure area I have created around him just in case he tumbles over!)

Pics for the grandparents

I know everyone likes to see new pics of Ayden, especially his grandparents! He is finally able to wear his Gatlinburg sweatshirt that he got from his his Grandma and Pappaw, he looks so adorable! This is also his first ball cap, Chris has been dying to get one for him ever since we saw how cute Guice looked in his! Also notice how much more hair he is getting!

6 month stats

Ayden saw his pediatrician this afternoon, and in the midst of the cold and flu season, they were very pleased to see such a healthy boy! He weighed 17 pounds 4 oz (60th percentile) and was 27 inches long (85th percentile). He won't have his next well-baby visit until one year and I'm sure that will be here before we know it!

6 months old!

It's hard to believe it, but six months ago today we met our long-awaited little bundle of joy. It was the happiest day of our lives up to that point and life has continued to become happier and more joyful everyday since then. Ayden has been such a blessing in our lives and we are so thankful for him. He is so wonderful, I can't even remember what life was like before him! He is doing very well, outgrowing more clothes and shoes every week! He is doing great with his babyfood, he is up to eating about 5 different kinds of vegetables and 4 different fruits, he just loves to eat! His first tooth is almost completely in now, teething has been a little rough. He was in a pretty established napping and nighttime sleeping routine, that has gone out the door! He loves chewing on any and everything and if you are holding something, he wants it! He has also started crying when I leave the room, this might be a problem since I am returning to work this week! :( I think he will do fine, it will just take a little adjusting to get used to not having mommy a couple nights each week (and likewise on my part!) Here are some pics of our handsome boy, including one from his actual birthday!

Roses!

Look what my sweet husband sent me!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

Video: Baby talk

Big Changes!

Ayden has made some very noticable changes just in the past week. First of all, he is saying "da-da" all the time, although I don't think he realizes just yet who he is refering to! He also has discovered he can scream just for fun, not just when he is upset, and he loves to do this anytime, anywhere! Other new activities: he has discovered his feet as new things to play with, he can completely push his chest up off the floor when on his tummy, and he can roll from one side of the room to the other in mere seconds! He is getting very close to being able to sit up, but still has issues with keeping his balance right now! Also last week I made all his babyfood and he has been enjoying a variety of fruits and veggies, green beans and butternut squash topping the list as his faves. He is not a fan of applesauce,I guess it is too tart, note the pics below :) He is getting to be such a big boy!


I have feet!

Strong boy

lovin' my green beans

hiding from mommy

not loving my applesauce!

Anderson family update

Well it's been just over one month since Chris and I started eating healthy and exercising. The results thus far: Chris has lost 21 pounds by eating very healthy, I am so proud of him! Also, his blood pressure is back to normal! He has a very strong willpower and is very motivating to me. I have lost 12 pounds by eating healthy, working out 30 minutes 3-4 times a week, and having the stomach flu for 10 days! The numbers aren't where I'd like them to be, but I am trying to be patient. As the saying goes, I didn't gain all my weight in one month, so it's certainly going to take longer than that to lose it!

Everything else is going pretty well too. Chris is staying busy with work and school, he only has 3 classes left to complete his MBA! I have to brag a little, he has made straight A's the entire program, while working 45-50 hours a week. I'll be the first to admit that I couldn't do that! He is very dedicated and I am so proud of him! I am still enjoying every minute of being home with Ayden, I could definetely do the stay at home mom thing long term, but our future plans necessitate me returing to work at least part time. I start back to work the 20th of this month in my previous position in Labor and Delivery. I am actually looking forward to seeing all my friends again and getting back into a routine. I am going to be working "flex" which means I am only required to work 2 days a month, but can work as many more as I want and I can choose the days I want to work. This position may require some night shifts but I am okay with that for the short term, Ayden is sleeping all night now anyway. I will definetely miss being with him 24/7 but I am hoping this position will work out well for all of us.

This cold, gray weather is getting very old...we are so ready for some warm springtime weather so we can start spending time outdoors with Ayden! We are flying to Houston the first weekend of April to see my best friend Melissa and her family. We are so excited! I can't believe Ayden is almost 6 months old and that I have been off work since the end of last July! Time sure flies when you're having fun! :)

Tickilish giggles

Party pics

Saturday we went to Conway for our niece Emery Jai's 2nd birthday party. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone! Ayden had a blast playing with his cousin Guice and watching all the fun of the party!

The Birthday Girl riding her new pony

Opening gifts

Getting Reacquainted


Handsome Anderson boys

Teething buddies

Ayden's first pony ride :)

Guice's turn on the pony