An Anderson Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful extended Thanksgiving weekend. We went to Cory's parents in Colorado where we visited, ate, visited some more, shopped and just enjoyed everyones company. Cory's oldest sister, Bobbi and her boys stayed for a couple of nights along with his youngest sister, Alisa and her husband Jesse. It was just nice to especially spend the evenings playing games and chatting. I was the piker on all the action and took myself to bed before the others as this little boy I am pregnant with feels like he is going to fall out at the end of a busy on my feet day.
It snowed just after Thanksgiving much to the boys dismay as they had left the strings of lights on the lawn ready to hang the next morning, needless to say, they had to fish them out of the about 5 inches of snow that had fallen overnight. Cade just loved the snow. I was so impressed at how well he did to stay on his feet and he just played and played to his little hearts content.












I just love this time of year, really from Halloween through to the New Year. I love the smells, the warmth of the indoors and the festivities with family. I particularly enjoy thinking on those things I am so thankful for. This year as we went around the table it struck me that we each in our own way are very much thankful for the same things. I personally am thankful for the blessings that have come to my family in Australia through this trial they have all been going through with my nephew Kallan. So many people have come through with flying colors, showing their support and encouragement. I am thankful that Kal has never had to be alone and I constantly think and pray for those enduring this horrible illness alone. I have an all new found respect for those that care and tend to the needs of those that are not well, whether physically, emotionally or financially. I am thankful that Kallan is doing so well, that his treatment is working and although he is dreadfully sick with all the side affects and yuckiness that goes along with chemo, he is doing well. I am thankful that my family live close enough to each other to rally around at this time. I am thankful for my family, their love and friendships. I am thankful for my in-laws. For the love and support they give me not just as their only sons wife, but as a daughter. They are the best in-laws ANYONE could ever ask for. I am thankful for health. Health is something I have always and will always be thankful for. I am thankful for the most wonderful husband that just loves me to bits. He is my best friend and is the best dad I could ever want for my children. I am thankful for my children... Cade baby is the most wonderful child and I know I could talk all day about his greatness but I will just say, he is the best company for his mummy and what I would give to always have those sweet kind kisses and cuddles even when I am old and grey! I am thankful for the little boy that I am carrying. He of late has been showing his personality through his kicks and tumbles and I just love this time in pregnancy. I am thankful for healthy pregnancies, for the ability to carry a child to term and the blessings that this brings to me are countless in my eyes. I am thankful for the testimony I have and the simple understandings I have of the gospel, that I can turn in prayer and be comforted and eased when all else seems to fail. I am thankful for my life!

Family

We finally got our family photos back this weekend from Alisa and Jesse's wedding. We had family photos the day after the wedding and they turned out pretty good I thought. Cade was a pill. He was good for the first little bit but then went for a play while others were getting their photos taken in group shots and did not want to do more photos after that. It was rough but we have now learnt:-
1. Not to have photos in light colored pants on the temple grounds that are wet and soggy!!
2. Not to let the kids play prior to photo taking
3. Not to have a late night the night before!!
Thank goodness photos really only come around once a year for us as they really take it out of you but they are SO worth it in my opinion.
Here are a couple of my favorites...

Half Way

Well I have officially reached 20 weeks and am feeling great. Morning sickness is finally over and that is a happy day for all!! I had my iron levels tested yesterday and am slightly iron deficient. Yuck!! I don't know how, I must eat red meat atleast 4 times a week as I can not stomach chicken this pregnancy. Other than that I am hoping for an uneventful next 28-29 weeks, yep scheduled c-section during spring break at this stage. We planned that one well... hehe.

Can't go posting about being half-way without a pic!!

Here is pics from 18 weeks in my pregnancy with Cade.

And here I am today... with little boy number 2.
(I so think I am smaller this time... well atleast carrying differently)

Happy Birthday My Boy

Cade about 2 minutes old...

Cade 1 year old

Cade 2 years old today!

Today is Cade's 2nd Birthday. This time 2 years ago, Cade was 10 hours old exactly. He was nameless and nursing and sleeping like a pro! He was most likely snuggling on my chest while I slept or having a cuddle with daddy after being passed around the number of visitors we had had. That first night was awesome. My pain medication was still in fine form so I was doing great.
I was just so in awe at how cute he was, he was perfect. I remember saying to Cory, "Man, he is cute... I mean really cute!" and Dr Keeler told me he had it on good authority (the nurses in maternity) that he was indeed the cutest little boy they had had in some time. I took it! We thought he was a little spunk! Even if they were just being nice!
Cade is the most delightful child I could have as a first born, he has made me so happy as a mother and want for more children because he is such a delight. He is a mummy's boy in alot of ways but is so boistrous with daddy that it is such a happy medium. He freely gives loves and snuggles with me each morning. He wakes around 6:15 and calls out to me to come help him with his snuggle boppy (which I sadly sacrificed to him when we moved him to a crib at 7 months), blanket, cars, teddy and whatever else he took to bed that night! I love this time, the 6am snuggle for an hour. This morning he fell right to sleep between Cory and I and laughed out loud in his sleep that it woke me but he was fast asleep. It was so cute.
He loves cars, trucks, tractors, bikes, almost anything with wheels it seems. He loves blocks and books and kids. He so enjoys company and is tender with babies. He loves to hold my hand and I will offer my hand alot to him and he holds it so sweetly which just melts my heart.
Lately, as my belly has been expanding he has been lifting his shirt to bare belly and lifting mine to reveal my bare bulge and he will lay skin to skin with his "bubba"... it is the sweetest thing. I love it. Soon I will be too big and he will teeter on it!
Cade likes to jibber and talk. He is talking so much more each day it seems. He says play, park, juice, breakfast, water, yes, no, eat, drink, keem (ice-cream), kids, go, house, car, drive, outside, up, down, dinner, thanks, thank you, please, jump, nigh nigh (night night), awake, seep (sleep), baby, bubba, mumma, mom, dadda, dad, pappa, gammie (grammie), syd (sydney mil dog), sip, some, more, shower, tubba, help, chair, what's that?, oh no!, lol lol (lollies/candy), snacks, fish, cat, cow, dog, goat, church, cold, hot, ouch, hurt me.
These are things he says daily, sometimes he comes out with things we have never thought he has heard. He just so amazes us.
I have to include that when he says "S" he really exaggerates it, like for yes, Yessss, please, Peezzzzeee, Thanks, thankssss. We love it!
Cade, I love you my boy! I have always and will always call you that. Thank you for the most wonderful experience life can offer, the blessing of a beautiful child to love and learn from. Daddy and I just love you to bits!

Here are some pics for you to enjoy...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Baby Boy Ultrasound

Baby Boy was indeed putting on a show, he was sucking, smiling and staring at the probe. It was fantastic! We got some great pictures and an awesome DVD that captured the poser in fine form!!


I will give you a run down on the days happenings yesterday. I was meant to have my ob appointment and ultrasound next Tuesday (11th) and I called up there on Monday as there was drama's with our blue cross insurance that had finally been sorted so I called to get that situated. My sister-in-law works there answered the phone and transferred me to bookkeeping and when I was done with that call she called me back and told me I wasn't book for the ultrasound just an ob appointment and she was looking an NOTHING was open until December with the ultrasound tech. I about cried I tell ya. Stupid I know but you get so nervous and excited and then to have it pushed back a month... not happy. She asked if I could come in the next day however as there was one appointment opened. I said, "I'll take it!" then she told me it was at 1:30pm which is right smack in the middle of Cory's classes. ARGH!! I kept the appointment after talking with Cory and figured I would be going alone but he was able to talk to his teachers and swung it to come! I was so glad.
We were asked if we wanted to know the sex and we said, "Heck yes!" and Cory had been indicating through little comments he has made that we were having a boy. I really have felt like I was having a boy but seriously thought timing wise based on ovulation etc that it was a sure thing to be a girl but felt like I was carrying a boy.
This little bub was putting on quite a show I tell ya and the tech said right away, "ok I can tell already what the sex is!" and I could too, just like Cade, he was mooning us to show all his glory and there was no denying he was a proud boy!! I was big smiles and Cory goes, "I KNEW IT!" pumping his fist in the air all proud! He was just so pleased for another boy! I am so happy. I am surprised that I am so happy actually... not that this little man was not wanted, just that I was worried others would be a little disappointed to know we were having a boy, but as Cory said, we are happy and that seriously is all that counts. I had always said when Cade was young, if I could be guaranteed boys like Cade I would have 100 of them. He was the most delightful baby and is such a beautiful spirited little boy and I can just see myself with a little boy either side of me in the church pew and that makes me smile. I am tickled!!
On my side of the family each of my sisters have had the opposite sex with their second child so they were planning on a little girl I think. I have totally thrown the system off with my 2 boys... 2 boys! That is so neat to say! Technically with the 'system' on my side Cade was meant to be a girl as it had gone in order, boy, girl, boy, girl etc and a girl was next but nope, a gorgeous little boy it was and then we have thrown it off again with another little boy!! Hey we are making our own tracks it seems and could not be happier!

Thank you to the those that wished us well and for the congrats you have given. We really appreciate it and are just smitten by these 2 little men we have created!!

Baby

Just a quick note, I will post pictures and more info tomorrow but we are expecting a BABY BOY!!
We are so excited and Cory is so over the moon he could hardly contain himself...
Will post more tomorrow if Daddy can get baby scanned!

Exciting

Our ob appointment got moved up a week as there was a scheduling problem and they didn't schedule me for the ultrasound as well. So tomorrow is the day we may know the gender of this little baby! Cast your final votes and pray for a happy healthy little one!

Kallan

I just had to post this beautiful photo from Kallan's blog. My sister Karina, Darren and Kallan. I just really had a cry when I saw these photos.

I have been doing really well coping lately but just felt the emotion from these photos. I so wish I was there for a visit somedays.
Kallan starts dual drug chemo treatment again on Friday, this is his second round and hopefully it is kinder to him than the first round he had. He has had quite a few visitors lately from my family and Darrens family so I know he has loved that. We love you Kallan and hope and pray for a speedy and kind second round!!

4th Folder, 4th Picture

This is my boys when Cade was 9 weeks old. I think for memory this was the first time he had fallen asleep awkwardly so we had to get a pic of that!
Must be a hard job holding up that Anderson head of his let alone only being 9 weeks old... hehe

I tag... Allison, Melany, Laura and Carrie. You just need to go to your 4th folder and pick the 4th picture and tell us the details!

Happy Halloween

Last night we went to the Stake Trunk-or-Treat which is a big event and has such a good turn out. You pretty much back your car up, pop the trunk (boot for you Aussies) and kids do the rounds and make a haul with the candy (lollies for you Aussies). Cade was a nightmare to get to nap yesterday but I really needed him to take a nap as I knew he would be awful at the trunk-or-treat otherwise. He ended up taking a decent nap and when he woke I wanted to get his costume on him for some preview pictures with Daddy knowing that Daddy wouldn't be in the photos once we got there as he would be the picture taker. Can I just say, it was horrible trying to get him to put this costume on, tantrums, crying, the works but as soon as I took him to the mirror, what a poser!! It was pretty funny. Cade was excellent last night. He kept his bandanna on which was a big thing for him and even would be assertive to the candy givers(to those not in costume). I would ask, "What do you say?" and Cade responds, "Say!" and I said, "No, Trick or Treat!" and he would ever so cutely say, "Tick or Teat!" It was to die for. Cade is a selective talker. He talks alot, mostly little things here and there but mainly to those he is sure of so I was so proud that he did it, I totally wasn't expecting him to want to say it. I just love him to bits and he was the most darling pirate... or should I say..."scurvy knave blasted scallywag" you have ever seen!!





He had a blast and made bank on the candy... or to correct myself again... and made like a "bandit with the booty"!! It was fun.

And our good friends the Brays, Kaitlyn and Madison where beautiful Princesses!!

(excuse the horrible pics of me while I was 'coaching' my buchaneer to pose and the gapping top!! obviously I was not told you could see clear down it, argh!!)