Monday, December 28, 2009

9 months

It's funny to think now that 9 months of this little man inutero went so much slower than 9 months with him here.

Ethan is growing, growing which was a bit of a surprise to his Dr as he was very anemic in his blood draw today. I thought it was strange too considering he is eating meats (in baby food form) and on iron fortified formula now, but he now has to take supplimental iron for a couple of months until he is anemia free. She said it could very well be genetic and I did suffer from anemia alot as a child and in my early teenage years.

Ethan is 20lb 5oz (50th percentile), 29 1/2 inches long (80th percentile) and has a big noggin at 46.8cm (85th percentile). He is doing great, apart from being anemic. The Dr said it will be interesting to see if his sleeping habits get better once the anemia is controlled, we'll see I guess.

Not alot has changed since last month developmentally except that he has started to squeal and communicates his frustration and want for food or other things we might have. He had his first Christmas and loved every minute of it. He was such a good boy all day. Loved his presents and his brothers presents too!

We just love this beautiful blue eyed boy. He is always getting compliments on his 'big deep blue eyes' and we sure love him to bits.



Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Merry Christmas 2009

Wishing you the joy of family, the happiness of friends, and the love of the Savior. May beautiful moments and happy memories surround you with joy this Christmas.

....From The Andersons....

Friday, December 11, 2009

Aussie Holiday

One of the top items on my 'to do' list is to finally get posts up of the trip to Australia... It is most likely not going to happen today or tomorrow, but soon!!

Here is a sneak peek for you....



Thursday, December 10, 2009

Melting Moments

Cade was just wanting a cuddle so I lay on the bed with him laying on my chest and tummy and I had my arm behind my head to support it and Cade got up and got a pillow...

Cade: "Here you go mommy, make it comfy for you"
Me: "Oh Cade you are so sweet"
Cade: "Yeah I know"

P.S. I love melting moments those yummy white chocolate peppermint candies mmmm. There are also these yummy scrummy cookies in Australia that are called the same, so it's a given to use it as my title and for future lovey moments from such a spunky, sweet little man!!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Ding Dong Merrily On High...

I love Christmas! And for that matter I love all that pertains to Christmas. This last weekend there were a bunch of Christmas movies and such on and it got me thinking... I have particular things I really like that remind me of Christmas.

Songs, movies, shows, smells etc. So I am going to give a bit of a run down on what and why I like these things.

SONGS...
most Christmas songs I know and will sing along to, but
-Ding Dong Merrily on High I think of the movie 'Little Women' and it is an all time fav. I look at those 4 girls with their Marmy and it reminds me of me and my 3 older sisters with our mum.
-Oh Holy Night this one has a spirit about it, I just find endearing, especially the way Josh Groban sings it... lovely!
-Silver Bells, to me it the essence of Christmas, the feeling you had as a child.
-Grown Up Christmas List, very poignant, Michael Buble does it the best in my opinion
-Holly Jolly Christmas, the one sung my Burl Ives, it's an oldie but a goodie!

MOVIES...

- I mentioned loving 'Little Women' this isn't traditionally a Christmas movie but it has a couple of Christmas's' in the movie and I just love, love it. Cory quickly scrolls by it if it on TV knowing I will gasp and request it!
- Speaking of Cory... he loves, 'A Christmas Story' and I hate it... 'You'll shot ya eye out'. Drive me nutso, but I didn't grow up knowing the movie and Cory did, so I am sure it has meaning to him because of that alone.
Back to likes..
'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' this was one I watched when I was young and always wanted a house decorated like the Griswold house
- 'Original Christmas Classics' you know the ones, stop motion animation...Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, Little Drummer Boy, Cricket on the Hearth
- 'It's A Wonderful Life' I was introduced to this one my first Christmas here in the States and it was great, very moving. I really enjoyed it. Made you think a bit.
- 'The Family Stone' this is my new, fav, favorite. It is such a great movie in my opinion, I was watching it on the weekend and Cory was reading a book and I go, "How can you not like this movie?" at least 5 times in 10 mins. I love how much this family love, they accept and care and although they seem misfit and moody, they are great!

SHOWS...

- We watched the 'Radio City Christmas Spectacular' it was amazing. I was exthrawled and coveting being there. I also caught a bit of a show where there were people Ice skating to Christmas songs. Talk about Christmas coming at once!! hehe

SMELLS...
are something I have come to love about Christmas since moving to the States. Christmas in Australia is totally different in season and therefore different in smells as well. (more on that in another post...) I love vanillaish smells at Christmas. I went and bought myself some candles this weekend to bring that smell into my home all season long. I recommend..
- Kitchen Spice, it is such a yummy delicate smell that won't give you a headache
- Vanilla Shortbread, this is a little sweeter smelling but light enough at the same time
- Pomegranate, I so heart pomegranate smells, mmmm

How about you? What do you have favorites for at Christmas?

Monday, November 23, 2009

8 Months

Today Ethan boy is 8 months old. OH MY GOSH... 8 months. Today was a terror day for him but I do think it was that he missed his morning nap as I took the boys to playgroup, and the fact that he is teething. I can feel his bottom tooth just under the gum but that does not mean it will be poking through anytime soon (lesson learned with Cade).

Ethan this month has finally started to crawl on all fours but when he is on a slick surface he still army crawls. He loves to blow raspberries and squeal. He is fun. He also does the most darling excited sucking noise. I can't do it, it makes me cough everytime, but it sure is endearing. We love it. He kicks and smiles the most beautiful smiles when he sees you and I just love that. He is a sweet little boy (with the exception of today hehe) and is growing like a weed. We do not have his next appointment until he is 9 months but he is still a chunky monkey and we love him to bits!

On a sad note, Ethan decided he is too big (nosey and impatient) to nurse anymore. We had a good run with breast feeding and it is always so bittersweet when my boys decide they are done. I had a friend tell me to be thankful they ween themselves as it is one less thing I have to teach them not to want or get rid of, but at the same time, I love that time, I love to breastfeed and there is truly nothing like it for me.

Well, the child that has possessed my once so calm and placid boy is crying for the 100th time today... duty calls.... COME ON TEETH HURRY UP!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Cade Turns 3!!

I am a little late with this, but life seemed to get busy this last week for some reason...

Our beautiful, handsome, happy boy turned 3 on Sunday the 8th November. We had a little Pirate Party for him after church with a few friends and he loved it! It all came together pretty well, which I was thankful for as we had had 2 really awful nights up with Ethan with what we now know was a head cold. So I am glad that sleep deprivation didn't affect the day for Cade. I had alot of fun this year in the preparation for his party. I always make his invitations and his cake and I kept the party decorations very simple this year. We didn't do games as I find it stressful to get the kids motivated to play games they are shy or uninterested in so we just got eye patches, made our pirate hats and handed out the 'treasure' from his cake. It was also really nice to just visit with the adults and we just let the kids do their own thing. I know Cade enjoyed the day, Cory and I had a great time and I think everyone else seemed to enjoy themselves.

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow: Cade's Pirate Party
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I can not post about a growing boy without letting you know what he is up to at 3 years old. Cade is just a lovely boy. We are still as smitten as ever. He is fun, loving, caring, playful and just the most lovable 3 year old ever!! (I am ever so biased I know)
- Cade talks all the time and I find him really easy to understand, but I am not sure if that is because I am mum, but his Dr said he was doing great and that she could totally understand him, which is nice.
- He is fully potty trained, has been for over a month now.
- Cade is a great sleeper and still naps a good 2 hours a day, although I do have to lay with him for a couple of minutes until he nods off.
- He has a fantastic imagination. Wants me to role play with him.
- Cade loves TV and wants to do the things the characters are doing and if emotions are expressed he expresses them too. Very perceptive boy.
- He loves to dance and will ask to dance with me daily. I love it as I have always danced with my boys. He is a little break dancer if he dances on his own... not sure where he got that one, not from Cory or I that's for sure!
- I get daily requests to make a house, a tent or to fix his train set that Ethan the Destroyer messed up or if he can see his friends, who is coming to his house or when he can go to school.
- He has shown a keen interest in learning his colors and numbers. We try but he is a stubborn little mite and likes to get it on his own.
- Cade LOVES nursery. He lives for it. Loves to see the church steeple on the way to church and makes sure we all have seen it too.
- He is so appropriately affectionate, tells us, "I wove you so much!" all the time.
- As you might be able to tell from above, he can not say L's it is funny to hear him say every L word with a W instead.
- Cade does this pose thing when he is explaining something, he bends his leg and indicates to what he talking about with a hand on his hip and so matter-of-fact. It is hilarious and I have to bite my tongue not to laugh.
- He absolutely loves his cousins. He asks for them all the time and tells people about them.
- Cade likes to go to the Dr and when we drive past it he tells me I forgot and missed the turn. Funny boy.
- He loves his daddy to bits and greets him so lovely when he comes home.
- Cade just loves his brother and for this I am so thankful. Lately he has been telling me Ethan wants to get up and play with him when he is asleep in his crib and when Ethan finally does wake up I say, "Cade, look who's awake" and he exclaims with such excitment, "Ethan did wake up mum!"
- He knows all his animals and pretends to be them all day long. When he is done playing and he says, "Mum, I not a monkey, a puppy dog, a kitty cat, a monster, a dinosaur, I just a boy. I just Cade". It is hilarious.
- He is quick to say sorry and make things right when he has upset me or hurt Ethan etc. He is very aware and I love that he loves so beautifully.

Here are a few of Cades favorite things...
SHOWS - Caillou, Max and Ruby, Little Bear, Yo Gabba Gabba, Oswald, Thomas
MOVIES - This is a funny one. He use to love everything, it was hard to narrow down what he wanted to watch and when. Now he says everything is, "Too scary" Lately he likes Thomas (which we rented and he has requested it everyday since), Brother Bear, Charlotte's Web, Ant Bully, Wall-E, Bolt.
FOODS - He still likes my cooking, especially lasagna or spaghetti but has decided to be a little more fussy lately, so we just leave his meal on table and he comes and picks at it and it all gets eaten eventually. He loves pancakes, mac and cheese, cheese, hot dogs, raisins, grapes, apples, bananas, watermelon, chicken fries, green beans and carrots.
CLOTHES - He has a certain pair of shoes he loves, but Cory hates them. He loves to wear his Jammie's and would wear them all day if he could. He likes particular shirts, ones with cars or trucks on them are his favorite or ones with 'soccer ball game' (this is anything with a ball on it).
TOYS - He LOVES trains, cars, anything with a ship or pirates, lego, balls, ropes, fishing and horses (warsies).
SONGS - Just like with the movies, he is very picky about songs. At night he likes us to sing fun songs my mum use to sing to us, 'Jimmy Monkey', 'Hydee, Hydee Ho', 'Mumma Little Baby Loves Shortening Bread' and he says, "Monkey", "Elephant" or "Bread" for those songs. He loves 'Love Is Spoken Here' and calls that "Daddy Song". Lately he loves to sing happy birthday and it is so stinking cute. He is pretty good at it too. Last Sunday at church there were some children from a family that sang a song and Cade goes, "Ohhh mumma, it's a happy song!" We all got a chuckle out of that.

We are so blessed and fortunate to have this wonderful child in our home. I have said this since the day he was born, but he truly is a delight!

Here are a couple of favorites of mine...
Cade brand new and unnamed at this stage

3 days old, first day home

10 weeks

8 months

Cade 2 years old

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Big Boy

I am so very pleased to announce....

....THIS BOY IS POTTY TRAINED!!! YAY!!!

This was our 5th and final attempt to potty train. We bought a trainset for Cade for his birthday and had it stashed away and I told Cory it was time to pull it out and display it and let that be the motivation to Cade to finally go potty. And it totally worked!!
We made a chart and put stickers on it at every potty time. He did fantastic! The first and second day I seriously thought it would be the death of me, both Cade and I have very little patience at times and therefore clash heads. We hung in there and I am so thankful we did. It was truly a bonding process for us too. Realising he can be independant in a good way was empowering for him and totally beneficial for me too. I was thinking it would be forever before he would poop on the potty, but by Friday that same week (so 4 days into it) he was pooping no problems. He has had 2 accidents since then and nothing for over a week now. He is waking dry of a morning and taking himself straight to the potty. He has also graduated from his potty and is now on the big toilet. What a big boy I have!! I am so happy with all that he had accomplished and I know he is happy with himself too, there is just a different sense about him, almost a new step in confidence and I love that.

CONGRATULATIONS my biggest little boy!!




The pictures above are from before we started to try, we made this chart and he was so proud of it. If you look at that first picture, you can see the bottom chart is covered in stickers... and so is his little potty, apparently he was running out of room.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

HAPPY HALLOWEEN





From the SWAT man Cade and his Kangaroo buddy Ethan!!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Ethan... photos

Well, I finally got some photos of the growing boy for those that had mentioned wanting to see some pics (Netty) hehe!!

Ethan is SOOO close to crawling. In these photos I could totally deceive and say he was as it truly looks like he is, but alas it is not so. He is constantly up on his hands and knees but when he wants to get anywhere is still army crawling. He is the master at that, very quick. I love that he is happily mobile without the pulling and climbing on things. That was Cade all over so Ethan is less of a stress (at this stage) when it comes to that! Phew!!


Enjoy the boy...






**See mum, in the second last photo you can really tell Ethan no longer has the comb over 'crazy professor hair' going on!