6 Months Old!

Guice is basically elderly, he is 6 months today! He is such a good lil' man. He is super cuddly and lovey, there is plenty to love :). He loves when his sister plays nicely with him, to be held, and nursing! He is breastfeeding constantly! After making some very minor adjustments, I felt much better and was able to continue to exclusively breastfeed. It was/is very much worth it. Guice's only dislike is sleeping. He is not much of a sleeper anymore. Guice takes an hour nap and maybe a 30 min. nap and that is it! He doesn't sleep all night, not even close. He probably eats about 5 times during the night, its hard work being a growing boy. I think he is looking more and more like his big sis. When we are out and about people always say they look like twins. I am not sure how this happened! When Guice was a newborn he looked nothing like Emery Jai! People comment on how much the babies look like Joshua. Josh loves it! It is almost time to start thinking about someones first birthday party (sniff sniff), it will be here before I know it or want it!

Eating Cereal!
Happy Boy!
He Loves His Car!

E.J. Showing (bossing) Him How To Ride!

Guice Eating!

Guice eating cereal! What a big boy! He did very well, much to my surprise! The funniest thing is E.J. in the background saying "what happened?" She was a little confused by Guice eating. She has been trying to feed him everything! Emery Jai even had to have her own bowl of baby cereal:).

Okay, I admit I have been trying to talk E.J. into getting her ears pierced for her birthday, she refuses! I know full well if this "suggestion" wasn't coming form me she would be all for it. I think she just likes to argue, she gets that from Josh :)!
*I know she needs her hair brush, I hate to shatter the illusion that my children are always perfectly groomed!
**You can pause the music, just scroll down!

Teething Bites!

Poor little man is having such a hard time cutting his third tooth! He is chewing and biting everything, I mean everything (Ouch, right?). I feel bad he is in so much pain, I hope it resolves itself soon. For his sake and mine :)!

I need....

a better

VACUUM!!!

Dr. Emery Jai

This is quite possibly the funniest thing ever! It is hilarious! Granted Guice might not agree in a few short years, but I will worry about that then! E.J. loves to pretend to deliver babies, she has been doing this for a couple of months now. Sometimes she is a doctor and then others she is a midwife, I encourage the midwife title! When the interventions become aggressive I have to step in but for the most part she in very gentle with him, she wants to be able to keep playing! Anyway, hope you had a good laugh:)!!

We had a good time visiting with Josh, we miss him ever so much! We mostly just hung out in the hotel room for a couple of reasons: a) it was freezing 7 degrees! b) there is not a ton to do in Cookville. Emery Jai had fun vegging out, something we hardly ever do. I admit I could tell a huge difference in her behavior with the added junk food and sugar! At one point she was trying to kick down the door. When she would get in trouble she would say "But it's my Happy Birthday!" I wholeheartedly admit that she is a stinker! Guice caught the brunt of her boredom, unfortunately. Even though I think he enjoyed his first hotel experience! Today Emery Jai told me she wanted to live in the hotel, she loved it.

Sweetheart! Nothing like pizza in bed!
What a big boy!

Emery Jai "helping" Guice with a drink of water. My little dinosaur!

Emery Jai checking stuff out! Guice about to crawl of the bed (he is defiantly mobile but hasn't quite mastered crawling).
Hangin' Out!

Sleepy Daddy!

Guice Loves His......

Yes, Mama is his first word :)!!! When he was "saying" Dada he was just blabbing, unlike now, he is really talking and knows exactly what he is saying :)!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMERY JAI!

My Baby is two! I cannot believe it. All day Josh and I would say "Do you remember what we were doing two years ago right now?" At 4:58 I had to fight back the tears, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I thought about her entering the world. I love that she is getting older, that she can really interact with me. I love seeing her personality develop (most of the time :) and I am looking very much forward to seeing the young lady she becomes. With all of that being said a part of me is sad over the loss of my little baby. This has been the most amazing and unbelievable time in my life, I love being a mom as if you can't tell! Emery Jai is, to me, perfect in every single way! Josh and I are so grateful and humbled that we were given this gift from God.
Snapshots from her special day!
Lovin' breakfast in bed! Just look at that face!

Massive cleanup effort!

procrastinating........

1. Click on this link. The title of the page is the name of your band.
2. Click on this link. The last four words of the final quotation on the page are the title of your album.
3. Click on this link. The third picture is your album cover.
4. Take the pic, add your band name and album title and voilà!

band:

Repetition priming

Album Title:

a public face

Cover:

Ramblings......

I am going crazy without Josh here. I miss him oh so terribly! He was home for one night then had to get back. It was much too short. He is loving his job. Josh had a 100% plus average after phase one, dork. He will be out of training and back home permanently March 4th, a wonderful 3rd anniversary gift. He doesn't know his home store yet he will find out the first of February. The kiddos and I are heading out today to spend a couple of nights with him and celebrate our baby's 2nd birthday. I have been overly emotional about it all week. As a side note this time last year I was being induced, she was born a mere 31 hours later (I was already 4 hours in), worth every single second! I just cannot comprehend that she is going to be two! Why are the days so long and the years heartbreakingly short? Changing the subject before I burst into tears, I am feeling much better. I am eating more/better and resting when I can. On to quips about the kids (I know that's the only reason you read anyway :),
*Emery Jai loves "cooking" for us. She stands at the one of our end tables while she whips us up something for lunch. E.J. has cooked rhinoceros, elephant, and turtle. When Josh was home he asked her what she was making, she answered "I am cookng some Josh for supper." I am a little worried :)!
*Guice is getting another tooth. This one is on the bottom also. It is bothering him somewhat. He is fussy! He wants to be held allot and isn't sleeping well.
*When Guice wants to nurse he does one of three things. He will just fall over like he has been shot, start patting my chest with his fat little hand, or headbutt me repeatedly.
*During lunch or supper E.J. will ask "Is there pig in this?" or "Does that have cow on it?" and sometimes "Is this a chicken?"
*Emery Jai and Guice are interacting more. If she does something that makes him laugh she will do it again, it is too sweet.
*Emery Jai puts anything and everything in to the potty and flushes. We waste more toilet paper.
*Guice has started having fits. He screams like a mad-man if you take away what he is playing with.
*Guice is rocking back and forth on his knees, it will not be much longer until he is crawling.
*When I tell E.J. to stop doing something inappropriate she says "Can you be patient?" She will also say "Just let me do it real quick." She is very mouthy I haven't a clue where she gets it :)!
*I have started introducing sign language to Guice, I expect him to use his first sign around 7 months.

Nap Time!

Babes In Hats

Emery Jai Talking....

Pictorial 01/17/08!

Emery Jai playing in her "play house" it is just a throw tucked into the top drawer of my buffet but to her it is a mansion! My cousin Elisha would play this game when she was little, It is nice to see the same game being played under the same buffet.
Guice and his billy-bob teeth. The pacifier helps relive some of the pain of teething, he doesn't suck on it he chews.
Emery Jai making her shopping list. She remembers to write down everything she has seen on T.V. that she wants! Including orange juice! We have never given her juice to drink she has just learned about it from commercials. She doesn't even watch that much T.V.. Guice up on his knees! He has been doing this for a couple of weeks but I have just now been able to catch it. It is becoming not only more frequent, he is staying up for longer periods of time.

He will be crawling before long!

Erica, I thought this might brighten your day....

E.J. is obsessed with Mike Huckabee, she thinks he is coming to her party. And of course she loves her NoNo so much! She is very interested in where everyone works and what their jobs are. Emery Jai talks all of the time about how Daddy works in Nashville and is a manager at Cracker Barrel. She says that Pop and NeNa work in Conway and help take care of people. Personally, I think the sweetest is when she says Mommy works at home and her job is Emery Jai and Guyboo!

**never mind her messy face, it was snack time :)!

Guice is missing his......

Cuties!

Guice COVERED in stickers. The front of his shirt is constantly wet due to teething issues :(. Guice is now showing all the teething signs, he is a grumpy bunny. He still manages to smile most of the time!
Sticker Face!
Emery Jai wearing a coffee filter as a hat! If anyone can make it work she can!

Crayon lipstick its the next big thing!

I Live For Moments Like This......

"Mommy, I'm a baby."
When those treasured words flow from my sweet little girl's lips, the world is put on hold as I scoop her up into my arms and hold her for a while, not near as long as a would like.
We close the precious moment as she says "I love you, Mommy" and slides out of my arms, to play again. Now that we have added Guice to the Anderson family, I hear this request more often; however, I know those words will someday fade as my little girl grows up . So, I'll cherish each moment - what mommy wouldn't? I simply live for these moments.

Tickle Tickle Tickle!

Finally!

Emery Jai is sleeping all night long for the first time in her life! We are so very excited, it only took just shy of two years! She is still sleeping in our bed for the most part but on occasion she will sleep a couple of hours in her bed (that is located in our room). We are working on slowly transitioning her we do not want it to be upsetting to her in anyway. Emery has almost always slept with us, naps and all. Guice also sleeps in the big bed as we all call it. He naps and everything in it too. Anyway I am so excited to FINALLY be able to say she sleeps all night at her next doctors appointment, they are the only ones who still ask :)!


*i don't have any recent pics of her, she is refusing to have it taken again maybe she will snap out of it soon :)!

Guice Splashing In The Bath!

Guice loves sitting up so much he refuses to lay down to take a bath! He loves splashing and playing in the water. I haven't gotten up the nerve to put Emery Jai in with him just yet! I am amazed at how much fun it is just watching your child splash in the water, Josh and I sat there and watched him in complete wonder as if he were doing long division. He is simply a baby splashing in bath water but to us it is anything but ordinary. Even though this is our second time around it never gets old!

Day Out (cleaver title, I know :)!

Josh was off this weekend, thankfully! We had a great time. The kids were so very excited to see him. We went to a mall to take advantage of the play area. Emery Jai loves it, she really likes interacting with other children. We decided to make this Guice's first time to get down and play. From what I can tell he enjoyed it :).
Mommy & Guice! Big boy! FYI: that is an 18 month outfit!
Emery Jai! She looks so sweet but she is actually blocking the slide so other kids cannot go down! We have some sharing and playing nice issues to work on.

Emery Jai playing!
Emery Jai & Daddy!

I Spy Something Shiny & White....

It's a tooth wait it is two teeth! That's right Guice has two teeth! He was so good I did not even realize he was teething. His bottom two teeth came in at the same time. I have been nipped a time or two, I hope that doesn't continue! I know I say this at least 4 times a week but he is growing up way too fast :(!




I know these pics are slightly less than award winning but they will have to do :)!

New Clips Of Guice......

The first 2 clips are of Guice playing peekaboo! They were both so precious I could not decide on which one to post so I posted them both. The second clip is Guice being mad. He has started yelling and putting his arms over his head when he gets upset. All I can do is laugh! He has so much personality!

So....

I have had an exciting couple of days, not good excitement however. The story is very long and complicated so I am condensing it considerably. To top it off I am using a very ungrammatically correct bullet outline!
*Wednesday I felt very faint and light headed. After I blacked out I thought it just might be time to call Josh.
*Trip to the E.R., lots of tests that included lab work, EKG, and chest x rays.
*Final diagnosis: I need to stop exclusively breastfeeding Guice.
*Guice is doing wonderful, he had a quick assessment and is perfectly healthy, he is getting plenty to eat. This advise was purely for my "benefit".
*After much consideration I am not taking that advise. I am going to continue exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months when I will start to slowly introduce solids. I am going to add more fat into my diet and also am going to rest more. I know everyone is shocked, me not taking medical advise who would have ever guessed:)!
*My Mom & Dad came down to help out and let me catch up on the rest I need.
*That is it in a nutshell!

Sitting Up!

Guice is doing wonderful at sitting up unassisted. The only problem is that he doesn't want to lay down and play. He wants to be a big boy and play sitting up! He is growing up so fast. Emery Jai tries to knock him down when he is sitting up, she says "no your a baby!" Life is never dull that's for sure!

Before I Was A Mom....

Before I was a Mom I never learned the words to a lullaby.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Drooled on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple little grin.
I never sat up for hours watching a baby sleep.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.
I had never known the warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Keeping Busy...

I am very close to going crazy without Josh here. I just try to keep busy as much as I can. Getting out with two kids is not easy at all. The cooler weather makes it much worse hats, coats, blankets, and such. It is super strange that I go for days and the only interaction with people I know is my children. I need to get around to making friends here in Tennessee, it looks like we are going to be here for a while after all. I have taken the kiddos to the malls and parks all week (yes, I realize it is only Wednesday but it feels like forever). I am counting down the seconds until Joshua returns!

Park Pics!

Bits & Pieces!

*I redecorated my blog in honor of E.J.'s upcoming 2nd birthday.
*There is way too much going on during the daytime for Guice to eat. He is way to noisy. Not to worry he will just eat all night when there isn't anything fun or interesting going on, who needs sleep? certainly not Mommy:).
*Josh is in training only 10 more weeks to go.
*Today at the park Emery Jai was looking at the ducks. She asked me what kind they were! I guess I need to brush up on my species (when I say brush up I mean learn them :).
*Christmas day Emery Jai sprayed Josh's new smell good all in her hair. I did not realize it was her that was reeking, I thought Josh had put on way way too much. I made him change his shirt. We had to ride to my Uncles with the windows cracked.
*Guice babbles mama and dada, Josh is telling people he has said his first words!
*Emery Jai knows the days of the week
*When E.J. hears another language she listens intently and then responds directly to the person with gibberish. This occurs often and is insanely embarrassing.
*I am busy preparing to embark on my New Years resolutions. I haven't completely started yet, baby steps people! I have fairly lofty goals.
*Emery Jai says the craziest things. We (particularly me) are having to watch what we say. She combines things we say and gives them completely different meaning.
*E.J. got two baby dolls for Christmas, she adores them. She keeps busy nursing, dressing, and moving them from spot to spot all day.

Emery Jai showing Daddy what Pop taught her! She can also tell a horse from a mule and a donkey. She knows the difference between a puffin and a penguin. She can name a variety of birds and knows an orangutan from a monkey or ape. Josh jokes that she knows more animals than he does and that she knows more about horses!

*you have to turn the volume way up to hear her!

Watch Out Mario Andretti

I cannot believe that this is my little man! He is so big! Guice is sitting up by himself all of the time and has developed excellent hand eye coordination. He loved driving his car. We always rent on of these because Emery Jai will ride in it, unlike our stroller which she can't stand!

What A Night!

I took Emery Jai and Guice to the Huckabee watch party last night, we had so much fun! The event was great! Even better He won Iowa! We are so excited for Erica. She has an AMAZING job, if you think about it there are really only a handful of people who have her job. It is a huge accomplishment to be scheduler for a presidential candidate front runner! It is super prestigious! Erica works very hard and is very good at her job. Regardless of my political affiliation I am so proud of her and am in complete support!
Emery Jai & NoNo! E.J. loves her so much, she would not let her out of her sight all night! Guice being politically active!

Emery Jai on the run! Mommy & Guice!

The event center

Peekaboo Guyboo!

I caught this game of peekaboo and I knew you would love to see it :)! You can thank my dear husband for the influx in video. He bought me a wonderful digital camera for Christmas, it also takes video. We have a handycam but I never have it when I need it. In case you haven't noticed I always seem to have my camera!

Update: Joshua!

Josh is loving his new job. He is having a great time. My little nerd has made perfect scores on all of his assessments (I would not have expected less and am not the least surprised). He likes his roommate (he was seriously worried about sharing a room with a complete stranger, who wouldn't be) but is looking forward to going to Cooksville in a week, he will have his own room then. I am planing on staying with him part of the time he is there, that will be nice and make it a little less hard. There are 24 people in his training class, Josh is the youngest by 4 years! Josh is enjoying meeting new people. He is very glad, as am I, that he made a career move. The kids and I are heading home tomorrow and Josh has the weekend off. We are looking very forward to seeing him, as you can imagine!