We Are in a Bit of a Color Pickle

We have been trying to teach Carter his colors for sometime now. He knows several colors without fail; blue, pink, and orange. Well, as we have posted before Carter is totally infatuated with Thomas the Train. So, to encourage him learning his colors, we would ask him what color the trains are. We would say "What color is Percy? Percy is GREEN. What color is Thomas? Thomas is BLUE" and so on and so on.
So, when Santa was sweet enough to go against all of our best parenting rules and place a small container of mini M&Ms in Carter's stocking we figured we would take advantage of the colors. We would pour a small amount of M&Ms on the table and ask Carter what color they were. If he got it right, he could eat it.
What's the pickle you ask? Well, when we ask Carter what color they are we don't hear blue, green or red, we hear Thomas, Percy and James. So if something is green, Carter says the color is Percy, which is the green train, etc... Hoo Hum.
We parent on...

Jingle News

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great Christmas with our new family of four. We celebrated this year with Dan's parents and grandmother who is visiting from the Cleveland area. Dan's Nana attended Crosspointe's Christmas Eve service with us, it was great having her come. This was my very first Christmas away from my family in 29 years! I have to say, I was pretty 'home" sick for my parents. I guess we don't ever really grow up.
Carter was a hoot this year. He really loved the idea of Santa leaving presents under the tree. He walked around the house saying "Happy Birthday baby Jesus"...well, his annunciation was off a bit but it was still very cute! We tried very hard for him to understand the real purpose of the season. Carter opened quite a few Thomas the Train items and couldn't have been happier. Unfortunately he opened them first and we couldn't manage to entice him to open all his other gifts. He wouldn't put his trains down and let me tell you, opening presents with trains in your hands just doesn't work! His favorite one...Toby, who he affectionately calls "booby" -his best attempt at pronunciation. I think Dan and I have had a little too much exposure to trains however. I have even fantasized about "hiding" all the trains while Carter is sleeping and playing dumb when he questions their whereabouts.
Camden was my Christmas gift this year and what a wonderful gift he is. Camden slept through most of the shenanigans which was nice. We were able to concentrate on Carter and all his cute expressions. We are looking forward to the two boys opening their gifts together next year. Until then, they can just enjoy spending quality "tummy time" together.

"Let's Have Some Fun"

Dan's famous last words. We decided to venture out into the world tonight and brave Crossroads Plaza of all places. We needed to return something at Target, and we needed to do it before all the Christmas returns rendered Target useless! So Dan says, "Let's go have some fun!", referring to joining all the shopping chaos. Well, before we could go have "fun" Carter got his poor hand shut in our van's automatic door- OUCH! His fingers got a pretty good scrape/pinch.
It is amazing how a seemingly "fun" filled evening can turn so sour with little children in the house. Our moods all changed pretty darn fast. The highlight of our evening however was getting to visit briefly with our friends Chris and Ava and their newest little addition. Seeing them made leaving the house very worth it.
Unfortunately, we are all sick (don't worry we washed our hands and didn't touch the new baby!) and Camden, at only three weeks old, has been the hardest hit. He is having a terrible time nursing and can't breath very well through his little nose. It is so pitiful- poor little guy. We suspect Carter picked the "bug" up at church last weekend. I hate that we have to worry about going to church this time of year, it is just so hard for us all to be sick. We'll see. The good news is that Carter still enjoys giving his baby brother kisses.

This Is Kind Of Hard!

Okay, so I have to admit it, being a mother to TWO children is NOT easy! I ventured out into the real world today to do some grocery shopping. Let me tell'ya, it was not very fun. Carter was perfect, and Camden wasn't bad either, but orchestrating the days events were certainly a challenge.
First of all, if I were to leave the baby in his carrier, I would have to put it where Carter normally sits (you know, the part with a seat belt!). If I put Carter in the back of the cart, not only would all the groceries end up on the floor, but I am sure Carter would have as well. So, I decided the only way was to "wear" the baby in my carrier and fasten Carter securely in the cart.
Now, since I decided to wear the baby I would have to take him out of his seat and finagle with the carrier while standing outside the van, and it was pretty darn chilly today. So, I had to leave the keys in the ignition with the heat on full blast to get the boys out. I fastened the baby into the carrier and went around the other side of the van to get Carter out. Easy enough, right? Well sure that part was easy, but I forgot that I had to take the keys out of the ignition and headed for the grocery store door with my ignition running! Ooops!
Camden cried the whole way home forcing me to stop THREE times to feed him and find a pacifier. Once we got home, the saga continued. I successfully got the boys out of the van and into the house. Camden continued to cry and Carter wanted a snack. I got Carter a spoon with some peanut butter and started to feed Camden. Carter was so fascinated by this new snack Mommy had never given him that he walked right into our kitchen island! So now Carter was screaming, Camden was hungry and a "golf ball" started to protrude from Carter's head.
I was trying to calm both boys down when I realized that I had forgotten one small detail...THE GROCERIES!!! I had left them in the back of the van. Well, at least I didn't forget my boys.
I did manage to have dinner ready and both boys happy just in time for Dan to come home from work, and wonder why I was so stressed out! I keep teasing Dan that I need a postpartum doula, a woman who comes to your house and helps with the baby, cleaning, errands, older children, etc. They even bring the baby to you during the night to nurse, and then lull the baby back to sleep for you. There is only one catch however, the packages consist of two weeks of help...either daytime or nighttime, and they start at $1,900. I should sell the van...
p.s. Dan told me that I should write this, and then delete it. He doesn't think anyone will care to read this...I just needed to tell my story! I am a woman, I can't help it.

Just Some Pictures

My brother David came for a visit last Sunday.

Dan's Mom
My Mom, sister Heather, and sister Laura.
My Mom

2 Weeks Old

Well, Camden is already 2 weeks old. We can't believe how fast time is passing. Before we know it, Carter will be 4 and Camden will be 2! We need to remind ourselves to cherish this time with our boys. It is just so easy to wish the time away when you are dealing with the terrible twos and a newborn who is up at night.
Carter is still waking up around 5:30-6:00 am every morning. So, Dan gets him out of bed and hangs out with him until he has to leave for work at 6:55, at which time I have to come downstairs and function...regardless of how little sleep I have gotten the night before. Camden usually sleeps until 8:00 or so which leaves me with a good hour for Carter and mommy time.
My father, Pa Pa, came for a visit this past Sunday. He drove from Tennessee to Greensboro on Saturday and then from Greensboro all the way here, and back to Tennessee on Sunday. He was anxious to meet our new family member!
On another note, Camden's umbilical remnants finally decided to part ways the other day. We were able to give him his first "real" bath. I don't think he was very impressed though. I will post pictures later.
Tomorrow is Camden and my 2-week check up. I will post his new height and weight for those of you who are the least bit interested. We are planning on replacing our carpet throughout the house and we need to finalize our carpet selection this weekend. Other than that, we are just hanging out with our new family.

WE ARE ALL ALONE!!!

Well we are getting used to our "new normal"
(Thanks Becky for the term) with 2 to take care of. Bonnie's mom
(Janice or "Na Na") left on Friday and left us here to fend for ourselves. Camden hasn't been the best at night at this point, but that is to be expected. We hope that unlike Carter, Camden grows out of the waking up at night 15 times before he is 1 year old. Monday will be the true test for Bonnie as it will be the first weekday without help. Please pray for her as she will most likely need it.


Carter asks often to hold Camden. It is still very cute to see. Here is a video from this morning. Typically he will hold him about 1-2 mins and then pretty much push him back to us. Quite funny.

We have been getting out and about with both Carter and Camden. This helps keep the sanity levels up. We have this monster stroller now that I can hardly pick up, but it sure works well. Before we know it, we'll wonder what life was like before Cam Cam.

We drove around with the boys looking at Christmas lights the other night, and we were treated to a much more spectacular light show. The sunset was so beautiful that we drove around until it was gone just so we could continue to stare at it!

Five Days Old

We can't believe our precious new little baby is already five days old! Time is f l y i n g by. Our days are still pretty much running into our nights, but I am certainly willing to sacrifice a few months of sleep out of my whole lifetime for our little "boobie boy".
Carter seems to be adjusting well, but he has his fair share of breakdowns, and for some reason he is now a screamer. I guess he feels an understandable need to compete with Camden. Camden's cry is pretty unique...his noises sound like a little kitten, but when he cries, well that's a different story.
We hope everyone out there in the real world is doing well. We miss everyone but hope to catch up with reality shortly. Thanks to everyone who plans on bringing us meals, it's amazing how even with this baby being our second and with my mother here for a few more days, we all keep forgetting that we have to eat!

More Updates

After all the excitement, Carter was quite wound-up. He insisted on holding the baby at all times which was kind of stressful. Luckily things calmed down once Carter went to bed, and we were all able to rest a little.
Last night could have been much worse for Dan and me. The baby slept pretty well! Dan probably doesn't think so but he wasn't in to see how bad Carter slept at night. Being less than 48 hours old, Camden slept much better laying right next to me which was very cozy. Having a natural delivery has made a world of difference in the recovery department. I am feeling so much better than I did when we brought Carter home. What a HUGE relief for me, I was petrified of having another Cesarean. Luckily my mother is here around the clock to help us with Carter and Camden...another HUGE relief. She hopes to be here for a few days.
Camden is sleeping in Daddy's arms right now, so I am going to take advantage of the moment and steal a shower. We will talk to everyone later!

...and we're home

We finally made it out of UNC hospital around 1pm (quite the fiasco). Carter was with both grandmothers as we arrived home. We had a plan to make this introduction very positive for Carter so we had Thomas the Train choo-choos ready. We came in the door and Carter, very happy to see Mommy, wonders what we have in tow. He immediately climbs up on the kitchen chair to see and began to point out body parts and saying "baby". I slowly took Camden out of his carrier and Carter apparently wants to hold him (as you can see in the pictures). It was unbelievably cute. After Carter holds Camden for about 2 mins, he then proceeded to pass him around from me, to Grammie, to Mommy, then finally to Nana. He also gave Camden quite a kiss. Seemingly, at the blink of an eye, after apparently remembering that we told him weeks ago that Camden was going to bring him choo-choos, says "where's choo choo?" Carter then runs over to the foyer to try to find his trains and there they were. So funny! He then lost all focus on Camden as we had suspected.

Needless to say, all is great and we hope to see everyone soon.

Sleeping

Well Mr. Camden and Mom have finally been moved to the recovery room (much nicer). We finally got some sleep before the next nurse came in for something. We are thinking we are going to stay the night although we could come home tonight if we would like to. Bonnie is doing very well and is excited about not having 100 staples in her stomach this time. Carter has yet to meet his new baby brother. We can't wait to see what his reaction will be. We plan to be home by noon tomorrow.

This kid can suck a thumb!

Camden has quickly discovered his thumb and knows how to go to town!

Welcome Camden Anderson!

Camden was born at 9:42am all naturally (Go Bonnie!) 8lbs 3oz. Things progressed pretty well and pretty fast. All is well, baby is already nursing 15 mins after birth (Go Camden!) We are not sure if we are going home tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks for all the prayers.

In the Hospital at UNC - Finally Settled In

Well we rushed from home out to the birthing center at 3:30am. When we arrived Bonnie was checked. She was 80% effaced and 5cm already. Her water broke around 2am and contractions are about 2-3 mins apart already. They say the baby is still way up there. So we will pray for the best. We then drove to UNC hospital and made it upstairs and are settled in. In the picture is our wonderful Doula Sharon. She was here for our first birth and it is so wonderful that she is here! Updates soon.... Dan

WATER BROKE, WATER BROKE!!!

It's 2:37 am and we are on our way.......

Updates to follow.

All the Old Wives' Tales

So, let's see. How can we get this baby out!? There is castor oil (oh so yummy), walking, all sorts of mid-wifey things, couples (uh humm) activities, massage, herbs, acupuncture, teas, liniments and ointments...etc.
We seem to have heard them all. However, at this point we are realizing that this little baby is in it for the L O N G haul. My actual due date isn't until Friday, so he still has some time, but I am growing intensely impatient. However, we need to keep reminding ourselves that God knows exactly how he will be born, and when. I am quite jealous of the advantage that He has when it comes to this big mystery. (NO FAIR!!!)
Poor Carter and Dan are having to deal with a very grumpy wife and mommy. Lack of sleep and feeling ill is really starting to wear on me, and I am starting to feel like a "not-so-nice" person.
So, life goes on for now. Dan is looking forward to a few days off from the office and our mothers will be helping out with Carter when we welcome our new little one. We look forward to being able to share some news, so stay posted!

Cutest Video of Carter...

Getting Ready for Christmas

We picked out a Christmas tree today, and have put out most of our decorations. I originally planned on not worrying about decorating with the baby coming. However, I decided that I wanted to feel as "normal" as possible among what seems like chaos lately.
So, all FOUR stockings are hanging from the mantle. Luckily, last Christmas I suspected that we may have a family addition by this year and sure enough, so thankfully I purchased an extra matching stocking. So, now our new little boy will have a stocking just like Daddy's, Mommy's and his big brother.
We are really looking forward to sharing the magic of Christmas with another precious gift from God this year. We have so much to be thankful for- our family and friends are the absolute best. We certainly feel very blessed.

Just Waiting...

So, here we are still waiting. It seems as though we will wait FOREVER for these contractions to start! I am growing increasingly uncomfortable by the minute, and I don't think Dan can possibly deal with my moods any longer. My feet look like tree trunks, and my toes like sausages. There is a full-moon tomorrow night, so we are hoping that the moon will play a pivotal role in putting me out of my misery a little early.
Our Angus Barn dinner was excellent. We couldn't stop talking about how wonderful everything was. They had all the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings. They also surprised us with the best prime rib we have ever had. We plan to eat there again next year! ;)
We had a full day today, we even visited our local mall! Crazy, I know. It really wasn't that bad, kind of fun actually. And, believe it or not, it was DAN'S idea! We spent a whole $3.20, big spenders let me tell you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! from the Angus Barn!?

Since I am quite pregnant, and certainly not up to preparing a heavenly feast, we are totally cheating this year! We will be dining at the Angus Barn for Thanksgiving today. Dan's parents will be going with us as well, so there will be some family tradition accompanying us.

We hope that you are all able to spend today with friends and family. Have a wonderful day!

Pictures of Our Big Boy

Carter is very intrigued by the fact he has TWO rooms. This one if referred to as his "big-boy" room. This room is complete with a choo-choo reading center. He is still sleeping in his crib in the nursery for now. We hope to have a smooth transition into his big-boy bed. We'll see!


Carter has always loved elephants. So, we found it only appropriate to dress him up as one before he had the chance to veto this adorable costume. I wonder what he'll insist on being next year. I am kind of afraid...let's just hope he doesn't insist on being a ballerina or princess, I just don't feel like having to explain that.


Giddy'up horsey! Poor Oreo. Carter loves to hop on Oreo's back and proclaim loudly "HORSEY!". We are wondering when these two might actually be friends.


Carter pulled the "cool dude" act when he discovered he had pockets he could reach. Dan and I couldn't stop laughing when he walked around for minutes with his hands concealed. He looks so old in this picture!

Baby Brother

We ask Carter where his baby brother is and he usually points to his own stomach! When I show him my belly and tell him that his baby brother is in my belly, he slams down my shirt, waves and says "bye-bye"! Maybe he is in denial. Hopefully he will react differently once he meets his new brother.

39 Weeks and Growing!

Well, I am currently in my 39th week of pregnancy. We are growing increasingly anxious as my official due date, November 30th, rapidly approaches. We were kind of hoping that this little guy would surprise us all and be early, but we are quickly starting to feel as though we may need to settle in for the long haul. God has a plan...we just need to trust Him and let go!

We have been trying to make sure we are ready to go; bags packed, baby bed assembled, baby clothes washed/folded/and put away, etc... Every night we settle into bed with the fleeting thoughts of "tonight could be the night'! Last night I told Dan, "Hey! Maybe he'll come once we assemble his bed". Well the bed is assembled...no baby yet. There doesn't seem like much more to do, so I need to take this time to relax and prepare myself for what lays ahead.

Keeping Busy

Last Sunday we took Carter to downtown Raleigh's Children's Museum called Marbles. There was so much to do, poor Carter didn't know which way to go! Interestingly enough (no, not really) all he wanted to do was play with the Thomas the Train layouts. Carter is completely infatuated with Thomas and Friends. We definitely have a little boy on our hands. Dan also took Carter to see "real" choo-choos the other weekend. Apparently they were kind of scary, maybe because they didn't have faces!? We are trying to keep him busy and pack his days with fun things to do. We know once the new baby comes, we may not be able to be as "fun" for a while. Dan is doing a great job of entertaining him for me while I sneak small periods of rest.