Post Christmas, Pre New Years

Anderson got to see even more family after Christmas!  Aunt Carrie and Uncle Chris came over to open presents with him.  They got him some beach wear from Hawaii.  He is going to be ready for Summer and days out by the pool.  They also played with his stacking cups with him.  They built towers, counted, and stacked as Anderson knocked them down and put them in his mouth.

Aunt Jackie also came to visit.  She got Anderson the cutest onesie that says, "Ladies Love Me".  It's so true!  Hehe!  He bounced with Aunt Jackie and smiled with her until it was time to go to bed.  Then, Aunt Jackie stayed to watch the Belk Bowl.  Good visit, good game, unfortunate ending score.

Anderson has become very taken with Nala, our dog.  He wants nothing more than to love on her and pull all of her fur out and eat it.  Nala is so good with him and lets him pull on her face and bat at her with his hands.  We are so lucky to have such a sweet and docile dog.

Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more

Anderson's first Christmas was AMAZING!  We had such a good time watching him open gifts and play in new ways.  We started our Christmas adventure at Grandpa Ed and Grandma Ellen's house.  Anderson got to spend the day with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  Anderson had a great time playing with all of Lily's toys and then had to take a quick car ride to get a good nap in.

Our next stop was at Great Grandma Garrett's!  Aunt Cyndi and Grammy fed Anderson (and got a little on Aunt Cyndi's dress, although I believe Anderson got out clean as a whistle).  He opened presents and got to spend time with his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.  Hannah and Caroline were so sweet with him!  They hugged on him and smiled with him and helped him open his gifts.  They will make fantastic big sisters soon!

Our next stop was at Nana's house!  We went over there and Anderson spent time with aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

At one point, he was in his bouncer seat and Richard was playing with his keys.  He would dangle them front his finger, scoop them up, and then let them hang openly from his finger again.  He did this over and over again right in front of Anderson.  Anderson thought it was fantastic and gave us his first real cackling laugh!  It brought tears to my eyes and I have decided that that was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.  It made my heart warm and I hope to never forget that moment.
Anderson was very fortunate at this stop as well.  His family was so generous and he had fun passing out the presents (after all, he is the youngest).

Our next stop was Grammy and Granddaddy's!  Anderson was very taken with his reindeer headband and his toothbrush in his stocking.

He was a little bummed that he couldn't have monkey bread, but he was very happy to hang out with his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  Justin was obviously super excited to be the one to hold Anderson (hehe)!

He also enjoyed getting to just hang out with Grammy and Granddaddy and roll around on the floor.

Our next stop was Grandma and Grandpa's!  Anderson was so excited to hang out with Lily and his aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  He got to eat his Christmas lunch and play with his toys and some dogs...that is a good day!

On Christmas night, we went to The Fallon's house and spent time with Anderson's aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents!  He also got his giraffe painting for his nursery!  It is beautiful!  His favorite part was probably Whitney's hat.  It sang and danced on top of her head and he watched intently.  If he is a hat designer, we will look back at this event and know the origin for that lifestyle.

Our final stop was back at Grammy's and Granddaddy's for the Hohman get together.  Anderson got to spend more time with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.  Although he refused to nap, he enjoyed the singing and dancing dog and bear that Grammy keeps around and attracted quite a crowd.  He seems to have that affect on people.  He also loved looking at the tree ornaments with Granddaddy.  I feel a tradition coming on.

It was a truly amazing Christmas and we are so blessed to have the family that we do.  Anderson has no idea how fortunate and loved he is, but he will and will relish in the fact that so many people care for him.  Happy Holidays!

Leading up to the first Christmas

I am so thankful to have a job that allows me two weeks of stay-at-home-mommyhood during the holidays.  I have so enjoyed my time with Anderson and Richard and I truly cannot believe how fast the time flies!  Our break started off with a lot of time with friends and family, which was very enjoyable.  Anderson absolutely loved the Christmas tree and is going to be very disappointed when every place we go doesn't have a lit tree in their lobbies.  He also thought that he was responsible for opening (and taste-testing) all the gifts under our tree.  It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.

We were fortunate enough to be invited to the Hohman cousin dinner so that everyone could meet Anderson.  We went to a restaurant called Simply Thai.  Richard went in with a negative attitude towards the food as they did not serve cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, or spaghetti and decided that he was not going to eat.  As the night wore on, I suppose he got hungry or felt as though he needed some adventure in his life and ordered Pad Thai and friend rice.  The result...true love.  He is itching to eat there again and feels that this is something he has truly been missing his whole life.  Anderson didn't get to enjoy the food, but he did enjoy getting to know some of his cousins!

The following Friday, Dec. 23, we went to the Whitley's house for a Christmas Eve Eve high school reunion brunch.  We had a lot of fun catching up and comparing stories.  It is so funny how little, and how much, everyone has changed.  The company and the food were both wonderful!  Anderson made some new friends and, of course, loved seeing his dear friend Chase again!

Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve morning, the Parrott family woke up to 3 inches of water in the basement.  That's right, our sump pump stopped working and a good majority of our belongings that were being stored in the basement have found their way to the garbage can.  Luckily, Richard and Tommy jumped into action and were able to get the situation under control before it got too out of hand.  Anderson was none the wiser.  He just thought it was great that Grandma and Grandpa came to visit him.

Overall, the break started off pretty well, and we are thankful that it was just a sump pump problem in the basement.  We are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!

SANTA! I KNOW HIM!!!

Well, I must say that I was skeptical of daycare in the beginning.  I wanted Anderson to get the same care that he would get during the day as he would if I were home with him.  I used to think that was enough.  Now that he has been at daycare for several months, I realize he is getting more.  His teachers are amazing!  He LOVES Ms. Bonnie and Ms. Mallory and has already made friends.  So, when we found out that Santa was coming to visit Anderson on Friday, December 16th, we went all out.  We put him in his Christmas best and he sat, ready to meet the man himself.

When Richard and I got off work, we went to the daycare to be there to witness this first for our son.  I so enjoyed spending time with him and the wonderful women to spend the day with him.  He ate a bottle (because everyone knows you can't meet Santa on an empty stomach), played with some Christmas decorations, and hung out with Mom and Dad.

Finally, Santa came...what a treat!  Anderson was not real sure what to think at first, but I feel strongly that he smiled and laughed internally (after all, he had to maintain his dignity).  Santa was fantastic with Anderson and was so kind.  I am so glad that we got that opportunity to be a part of Anderson's first meeting with Santa in a place where he felt comfortable and loved.

The Life of a Parent

The weekend of December 10th may have been the strangest parenting weekend I have experienced yet.  It started on Saturday morning when something woke me up.  It was still dark so I looked at my clock wanting to make sure I had turned off my alarm.  I obviously had because it was 6:15, which is later than I wake up for work.  I automatically looked at Anderson's monitor to make sure he was okay (new motherly instinct, I suppose) and he wasn't there.

 In the strangeness of this early morning moment, I knew that someone had come in and stolen my baby.  I hopped out of bed as though there were a snake in my bed and ran across the hall to Anderson's room.  He had, somehow maneuvered himself to the edge of his bed, on his belly, with his arm hanging over the side through the slats.  The camera was looking over him at nothing.

Once I could breathe again, I took these pictures and then went back to bed.

On Sunday of that same weekend, I was cutting Anderson's toenails (by the way, his nails grow faster than anything I have ever seen).  I bent down so I could see them and started with his big toe.  I got close so I could see it, lined up the clippers, and "clip".  The next thing I know, the toenail clipping is hopping into my eyeball.  I cupped my hand over my eye and reflected on what just happened.  It was about that moment that Richard peeked through from the kitchen and asked if I was okay.  I immediately stated that I had a toenail in my eye.  He came over and we worked together to remove it.  When I looked at it, I was amazed that a toenail clipping that size would fit in someone's eye.  I kept myself from taking a picture of this event, because I was not sure I could look at it again, but it is definitely something I want to remember...crazy!  Richard asked me if I wanted him to get me a pair of goggles so I could finish the rest. I laughed and sent him back to what he had been doing, but as I finished, I got close so I could see, lined up the clippers, turned my head, and then clipped.

Fun With Friends

The other night, we went to the Scholastic Book Warehouse Sale on Shelbyville Road.  Besides spending $50 on $120 worth of books, we got to spend time with Jen and Oliver.  Oliver is one of Anderson's favorite people and it shows in this picture of him trying to hold Oliver's hand.  Oliver is also a lover and holds Anderson's hand and plays footsie!  I love seeing them interact together and wonder what they must be thinking about their crazy parents.

I would like to point out that Richard was a champ holding both of these boys at a time.  He was holding Anderson and Oliver ran up to him and held his leg wanting to be picked up.  So, he picked him up and let the boys play on him as though he were a jungle gym.  I'm so lucky!

A couple nights after that, we went to the old Beards building in Crestwood and worked to sort food for the food baskets for the needy in Oldham County.  The fifth grade students of Goshen Elementary were invited and Anderson had a blast with all the attention they gave him.  He also kept eyeing the cans and felt they really needed to be in his mouth.  I am pretty sure he would have tested out each of them had we given him the opportunity.  Henry was also kind enough to stop sorting for a moment in order to get a photo with APP!

I believe this will be a family tradition of ours.  I want so badly for Anderson to have everything and live a wonderful life, but I also firmly believe that he should know what it means to give.  We may not have a whole mound of money to give, but we do have time and we can donate that to make a difference.

Light Up La Grange

On Friday, December 2, we went to Light Up La Grange with the St. Louis family!  We had a blast!  Anderson loved the lights and got to show off his monster hat (one of my favorites).

The lights around the trees lit up with the music as it played and we all had a blast.  Richard did end up having to interrupt the fireman's ball when Anderson got hungry and we needed water for his cereal, but isn't that really what firefighters are there for...to share water with those in need in the community.  We ran into several friends there and got to spend a nice evening outside.

I have realized that, as I worry more about taking care of Anderson, I worry less about myself.  I ended up forgetting my jacket and had to borrow Jen's.  Thank the heavens above that she had an extra one in her car.  Perhaps I should keep an extra one in my car just in case.  You would think that since I married an Eagle Scout, he wouldn't let me forget things like that, but I guess we can't expect them all to "be prepared".  Thanks Jen!

Mmmm...cereal!

Anderson has tried a couple foods since our last attempt and has enjoyed each and every one.  Avocado is still his only dislike.  He enjoys sweet potatoes, pears, and peas (after feeding him peas several times, I dreamed about them, so we are taking a short break from those).  He is also a big fan of oatmeal, which used to be in the green bowl pictured below. 

Obviously, he has quite a relationship with this single grain cereal and knows how to get it straight from the source.  This kid keeps us laughing constantly!