Christmas Cards!

I am so excited about our family Christmas cards this year. My sweet sister, Marcia, took some amazing pictures of the kids while we were away for our Thanksgiving vacation. The pictures turned out so well. It is killing me to share them with you all, so I guess I will give you sneak peek.

My plan is to use Shutterfly and create cards. I can't wait to mail them out. By the way, you should check out this promotion: http://blog.shutterfly.com/5358/holiday2010-blog-submission-form/

Tis the season to be jolly!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Emma Day!

Yesterday, Emma had Thanksgiving lunch at Nanny Patterson's and she invited Grammie to be her date. Afterwards, Grammie took Emma home with her for some one-on-one fun time. Now that we have two babies in the house, it is hard to give the kids individual attention. Emma and Grammie had a fabulous time together. They made a stop at the Family Dollar and did all kinds of fun things together.

In the afternoon, Uncle Zac came home from teaching school and played with Emma. Even though Uncle Zac picks on her more than anything, she loves him dearly. Emma had lots of fun jumping off the couch to him.

Grammie told Emma it was her day and she was the boss and could do anything she wanted. By the time I met them at Michael's Deli for supper, Grammie had created a monster. I think Emma likes to be in charge, but it must be hard work because she fell asleep on the way home and slept all night.

I am so blessed to have an amazing mother, father, and brother-in-law. They are always there ready to lend a hand. What a blessing!

Vicks, Saline Spray, and Nasal Aspirators - Oh My!

The smell of Vicks in our house alerts all visitors that sweet baby Brooks has his first cold. It is so pitiful. The combination of this cold and his Riggins nose makes him snort like a little pig. The snorting is pretty cute, but at the same time I hate to see my baby sick. This being day 5 of his nasty nose has given Brooks plenty of time to decide he does not like the saline spray and nasal aspirator. Once all the screaming is over, he appreciates the relief the two provide. I pray my sweet little man is back to normal here shortly and that this cold season passes quickly.

The Grind

Life as the mother of two in a family of four has become quiet routine. I have been back at work now for nearly a month and although I had some reservations about how I would accomplish all of my motherly and career duties, I seem to be surviving. I may not have a spotless house, but the kids are thriving and are happy and healthy.

Our handsome man Brooks had his two-month well baby appointment last week. He weighed in at 12 pounds and 4.4 ounces. He is 24 inches long. That puts him in about the 75th percentile. Brooks is such a good baby. He rarely cries and has the most beautiful smile. The apple didn't fall far from the tree with Brooks. He looks exactly like his daddy.

Our princess Emma is learning so much in school. She can't wait for August to come so she can go to pre-k. She knows all of her colors, numbers, and letters. A few days back she was telling me about a ukulele. It is amazing how quickly she learns different things. Some days I wonder what she will become when she is an adult.

Layton and I have decided that our lives are busy, but blessed. We are looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday. Our family will be taking our first vacation since Brooks' birth. We may need a U-Haul to transport all of his accessories. Please keep us in your prayers and we will do the same for you.

Wordless Wednesday - My Loves

Cute Kids

Image Center - Olan Mills Portrait Studios

Layton and I took the kids for pictures over the weekend. Brooks is exactly 2 months old and Emma is 3 years, 8 months, and 5 days old.

He's Here!

Weighing in at 8 lbs. 12 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long Brooks Layton was born on Tuesday, August 24th, at 3:18 pm. He is such a blessing and has some much sugar that it just drips off.

Wordless Wednesday - Brooks' Baby Shower

The Beginnings

Time is growing near to the arrival of our new son. Two weeks from tomorrow our family will become four. I can't wait to hold and love Brooks. I know that we are blessed to be receiving such an amazing gift from God. On the other hand, I am somewhat sad that Emma will seem to be so much bigger as this new little one enters our family. Every family goes through this transition when the baby isn't the baby any longer. I pray that we are prepared and that God will bless our family as we joyfully welcome Brooks.

These last few days of pregnancy seem to taking a harder toll on my body than I remember from before. Our "family bed" isn't very comfortable and I find myself here on the couch blogging. Emma, however, is sleeping away. She is such a angel. Each day I can hardly wait to come home from work to see her. She is an amazing daughter and will be an excellent big sister. Not a day goes by that she doesn't say something to make me smile and laugh.

In preparation for the arrival of Brooks, my sweet husband has been getting a few chores taken care of at the house. We have finally gotten the extra bedroom upstairs put back together. It has gone without a mattress set for some time now. Layton also installed wood blinds in the baby's room and in the kids' bathroom. I am so proud of him for taking care of these tasks that some may feel are minor, but to me are very important.

Layton is such a wonderful father. I love that he spends time with Emma. The relationship that I have with my dad is something I wouldn't trade for the world. Emma loves her daddy and I know the bond between those two will only grow stronger as she gets older.

Swinging Sweetie

Emma's good buddy Chris, who is actually Layton's co-worker, played with her at the ballfield last week. He pushed her on the swing for almost an hour. This late in my pregnancy, I was so thankful to have someone else to run after her. She had a wonderful time and I owe Chris big.

Father's Day

In honor of an amazing dad on father's day.

Brooks Layton

Baby Brooks is growing quickly. I can't wait to hold him. I am officially 18 weeks today. I can already tell he is going to be a cute kid.

5th Anniversary - Bahamas

I am the worst blogger ever. I so rarely remember to update on the happening of our family. So, here I go. Layton and I ran away together for our 5th anniversary a week or so ago. We took a cruise out of Jacksonville to the Bahamas and had a wonderful time. It was 5 days of peace and quiet. The ship and crew were wonderful. I can't wait to book the next trip, but I guess that will have to wait until Baby Brooks makes his arrival.

Baby Anderson No. 2

It has been a really long time since I have updated my blog. There have been lots of exciting times for the Anderson family in the last few months. We had a wonderful time at Thanksgiving with our family. During Christmas, Santa was really good to everyone. Emma got a "jump-o-line", a bike with a helmet, and a fur real puppy among other things. Layton and I got a little surprise as well. We are proud to announce that Emma will be getting a baby sister or brother on August 24, 2010. Our first appointment with the doctor went well. The doctor went ahead and set us up for the delivery date which is nice.

Emma is getting smarter and growing more beautiful everyday. She is so amazing.