...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.

We are finally joining the bandwagon...

Welcome to our blog! We have finally decided to join the bandwagon and establish a blog for our family...existing and growing! We look forward to sharing all our news and happenings with our friends and family. Check back often to make sure you don't miss some important upcoming news! :)