{four}

Today we remember a life we once knew four years ago, celebrating Josiah's birthday and home-going.


For the unaware - we found out about a week prior to Josiah being born that he would not live after birth. I was seven months pregnant when our 8+ pound third child entered this world, heart still beating, unable to take a breath on his own. We said hello and goodbye within minutes.


Having to give a child back to Jesus has been the most difficult thing I've ever done - hands down. Labor/delivery with the others (yes, even the eleven-pounder), the c-section with Josiah...those were walks in the park compared to letting him go. It's amazing how physical pain can fade, but emotions linger, cropping up from time to time, making for good days and bad days.


We already see God's hand in how this day is being redeemed. Our Josiah shares his birthday with two other close friends' children, and neither one of those friends had due dates very close to today. God knew what he was doing, and that hasn't changed. Just as David did when his child died (yup, it's true...check out 2 Samuel 12), we, too, trust that we will be with Josiah again someday.


For now, we are thankful for those who walked (and continue to walk) this road so closely with us. We are thankful for these three healthy, earthly blessings.

And we remember, continuing on with the new "normal" that we know.

Happy four years in Heaven, little man.

A New Year

Happy New Year!

Yes, a couple of weeks late. With three kiddos (two of whom have the typical winter colds), a dog, frozen winter pipes, a husband, and a job, that's pretty much the "lateness" that I average.


So, how about a little catch up?


Thanksgiving and Christmas were much-needed breaks, spent with family and friends and the busyness that the holiday season has to offer. We intentionally slowed down some, but definitely not enough. We're working on that!

My youngest baby will be turning one in less than a month. My oh my, how quickly the past 11 months went by! I'm sure many others can attest to that as well. The older I get, the faster life comes and goes. I'm working so hard at enjoying every moment (even while pulling the night shift with a crying, stuffy, teething, coughing baby). It doesn't stay this way very long!

This year holds so much change and adjustment, and we're taking it one day at a time. When I think about the dates coming up (my baby walking soon, the four-year anniversary of Josiah's birth/death, my second starting kindergarten, pending work trips, turning 26 31 35, races we are registered for, training to get in, parties to plan, etc., etc., etc.), it can all get so overwhelming. My goal is to enjoy everything and handle the hard things IN.THE.MOMENT. If I stress, it will pass me by quicker than I can blink, and I will gain nothing.

Remind me (and yourself) of that when you see me. We both probably need it. :)


Happy 2014!

Puppy Love

We have a puppy for sale!

 

A female German Shorthaired Pointer. And she's a cute one, too!

 

No, no...not the kiddos...the puppy's for sale. Please stay focused.


But they do help with the advertising, don't they?

If you or someone you know is interested in a female GSP, shoot me an email. She will be ready to go toward the beginning of December.

:)

{eight}

 She's eight years old today.


A beauty inside and out. A smarty-pants with maturity beyond her eight years. She's our only girl...an absolute Daddy's Girl.

 (telling me to wait until SHE is ready)

Today, we celebrate our first-born and say goodbye to the booster seat in the car. (Seriously?? How did we get this old??)

We love you, Nae!!!

Preschool

It's now his turn...

He's off to his first preschool class this morning, so excited, a slightly hesitant look on his face when leaving him at the classroom door. I kept it cool, leaving before he saw me tear up.

His big sister showed him how to get in line to enter the room, nervously moving him to another spot, instructing him on what to say and do. Such a mother...a controlling, bossy-ish type of mother,  ;o), but definitely loving and a bit worried about Caedon.

I know the boy will be fine. He's the social one, excited about preschool because he wants to "meet new friends." And my prayer is exactly that - that he will meet new children and continue to be who he is, letting love shine through!

2nd Grade

And she's off...


New teacher, new adventures, new friends, catching up with old ones...so much in store for my Danae today.

Lord, protect my little girl as this school year begins, and help her to reflect You.

And prepare me for the start of my third part-time job: the onslaught of paperwork and "parent homework" that will surely meet me at 4:05pm today and occupy most of the evening.



Amen.

Summer Goals and Milestones

It's hard to believe that in less than two days, my first-born starts 2nd grade. Then, the day after that, my second-born has his first day of preschool. Seriously, folks, where did this summer go??


When school ended in June, I noticed an uptick of Facebook posts about "surviving" summer with children home, and feeling "crazy" with children in the house, and parents counting down the days until school began again in August. I was on the other end - I had a hard time sending my girl off all day to first grade, trusting in others to care for her all.day.long without me, and I was grateful to have her home all day again, planning out trips to the library and some mini "field trips" in-between me being at the office and working from home. No, our summer days weren't all "Father Knows Best" Anderson family-ish. We had our fair share of sibling fights, meltdowns, claims of boredom, and irritation. But overall, it was a full, adventurous, purposeful summer, chock-full of swimming, playing, swinging, and growth.


Each of our kiddos accomplished a lot this summer, and the biggest goals for the older two were exciting to see. First, for Caedon - our laid-back (dare I say lazy) boy. ;o) He has a mind of his own and has always done things in his own time. We really wanted him to learn how to swim without arm swimmies/floaties, and we were (somewhat) working on it last summer. So, sometime in June, he announced that he didn't need his swimmies/floaties, proceeded to get in our neighbor's pool without them, and swam his heart out, arm floaty-free! He continually improved since that day and is officially an independent swimmer. :)

Next up: Danae riding a bike. This was a goal from last summer as well, but her fear got in the way and it never happened. She rides well...as long as the training wheels are still attached. After the recommendation of my friend Sarah to create our own Strider bike by removing the pedals and training wheels from her current bike (which is too small for her), Danae practiced balancing on our homemade Strider for most of the summer. Just this week we made a Craigslist find of the right bike size for her (sans training wheels) and picked it up. Wouldn't you know - within five minutes of having the bike at home, the girl hopped on and rode around the driveway and backyard like a pro. Whaaaat?? Goal #2 - checked off the list, just in time.

And Mr. Jude - well, he's a rolling, baby food-eating, babbling, maneuvering himself around the room boy these days. He just proved his "sitting on my own" skills and the beginning of "army crawling" today. Such a doll, such a little love.

Now we will go and enjoy what is, essentially, the last weekend of the summer, and start a new chapter next week!

Five.

Today my first-born son turned five. Talk about feeling old(ish)!


He told me this morning that he still felt like he was four. Please, my boy, stay that way!

I often tell Caedon to stop growing up and getting bigger and older. He lovingly responds with "I can't, Mom...that's the way God made us!" Oh, my heart. When did he stop calling me Mama or Mommy??

Caedon continues to be a fun-loving, physical, wrestle around, loud-talking, imaginative, curious, and friendly little boy. He makes friends with other children no matter where we go, often asking for playdates and inviting others over (sometimes we know about it, other times we don't). :o)

Pre-school is waiting for him in four short weeks. I'm sure I'll cry when I drop him off that morning...more growth, more change.

For today, we celebrate five years with our Caedon! We love you deeply!

Jude Benjamin

Pardon the interruption. I've been nursing, snuggling, loving on the newest love in our house - on top of adjusting, working, and a lot more!



About four months ago we welcomed Jude into the world. What a joy he has been!

He weighed in at 11 pounds even and measured 22.5 inches long. My biggest baby, yet my fastest birth. I felt fantastic and wanted to go home that afternoon! Seriously, God worked miracles that day in so many ways...it blows my mind even thinking about it today.


Jude is loved on from sun up to sun down by his big brother and sister. They usually can't get enough of him!

While the transition from man-to-man to zone has been going well so far, I'm still learning how to juggle home, work, and personal time. These days the third area is getting the shaft in many ways (no time for hobbies, blogging, reading, etc.). But, as all mamas know, that's usually how it is for a little while! These days are few and will fly by before I know it...so I'm soaking in as much of these kiddos as I can get. :o)

Nesting Projects

Well, the due date came...and went by two days ago! Since only about 5% of women actually have their babies on their due dates, I guess none of us should be that shocked. In reality, I was wishing that this large one would come a wee bit early, but I know he/she will come when he/she is ready!


In the meantime, we have been getting several projects done in our house. Not just the deep cleaning of baseboards and walls (yup, I checked that off the list)...it's the things we talk about doing for oh so long, but just never got around to completing. I tell ya, this "nesting" thing really helps get those pesky projects that are at the tail end of the list done!


Project #1: Reupholster the glider
A couple of years ago, when Caedon was around two-ish years old, the poor boy got a nasty stomach virus and was sick in the night. I happened to be rocking him in the glider during one of his throw-up sessions, and the chair required de-cushioning and a washing. The cushions were never the same again. They turned into a mangled mess, especially the arm cushions, that could not easily be put back on the glider. In my laziness (and lack of sewing skills), I let it go and never fixed it.Until a few weeks ago. Our glider went from a cream-colored lump to one that I actually like.

Many thanks to the Jo-Ann's Fabric lady who talked me through the whole hot mess and gave me some confidence!) It's not perfect (I didn't measure anything...just lined it up and cut), but it fits and it works!



Project #2: Floor painting and area rug
We live in a house that was built in 1852. Yes, it's ooooold. So, the floors that haven't been touched over the years are a soft pine, splintery and in need of some help. Our bedroom floor is one that we talked about painting and putting a darker-colored area rug or bound carpet down. A few weekends ago, we realized we didn't have anything planned for an entire Saturday afternoon and evening, so we ran to Lowe's/Home Depot and got to work.

Before:

Room emptied:

A coat of B-I-N primer down:

After:

(Yes, that's clean laundry on the bed. A dose of reality for you.)

Thanks to my dear and talented friend Aimee, who recommended B-I-N and text-coached me while we picked things out at the store. She rocks!

Three.

My, oh my...how time flies by.



He would have been 3 years old today. Even after three years and lots of healing, there's still (and probably always will be) a small hole in our hearts that can't be filled. Even having another baby so close to Josiah's birthday doesn't change it. And that's okay.



He will always be missed, always be loved, and always be celebrated.

Happy birthday, my boy.

37 weeks. Game on.

With a little less than three weeks to go until the Due Date, I finally feel (somewhat) like I'm in the home stretch. Despite my feeling that I'd never get here, December flew right on by (hence, the lack of posts!).


Here - I'll provide you with some entertainment. Me, eight months pregnant, taken at the end of December:

Yes, eight months, not 9+. I excited many a stranger at Christmastime, who wrongly assumed I'd have a Christmas baby. Even today, I was asked how much longer I had to go. My response: a little less than three weeks. Her response? A disappointed "oh...I thought maybe you'd say a couple of days." I'm carrying a rather heavy turkey, who probably weighs in at 8+ pounds this week. So, since 37 weeks is considered full-term, I say bring it, child! The bassinet is in place (thanks, Janelle!), gender neutral clothing is washed, and we're close (somewhat) to finalizing names (yeah...you can pray about that one). Soon to be go time!

Cutting back

I did it. Took the plunge. Put on my big girl pants (well...actually, these days most of my pants are big girl pants, given my size) and let go.


I quit my job this week. (Well, one of my jobs, at least.)


Yup...I gave my five-week's notice to my employer of almost two years. After much prayer, husband discussions, and thought, we came to the realization that caring for a newborn and two kiddos, plus maintaining a lacrosse club from home, staying on the school board and with the youth group, and then working part-time outside of the home would equal PURE.INSANITY. Every mom knows how much time it takes to feed a newborn, and then to keep two other littles alive and happy...well, the time percentages just weren't working out.


And even though I have this crazy thing with staying busy and being Wonder Woman, I'm really okay with letting this job go. While I enjoy the work I do, I'm realizing that this is just the chapter in life that I'm in. And I'm embracing it.


On to a baby update:

I'm now 29.5 weeks along, looking like I'm 33+ weeks. No, for real...my midwife and the specialist are all confirming that the bambino within is a big one, charting in the 99th percentile and weighing over 4 lbs already. Surpriiise, surpriiise, right? He/She is tracking to be on the bigger side, trying to keep up with his/her siblings (our babies were all bigger, thanks to my husband). ;o) Also, while this child is hydrops-free and not showing any of the issues our last baby experienced, he/she is "throwing us some curve balls", as the specialist says. There are two minor issues that the specialist spotted a few weeks ago, and thankfully neither one of those have worsened. They are expected to diminish and clear up, but we are being watched as a precaution.


So, that's the skinny (ha...skinny...not quite how I'm feeling these days, but regardless...). Life is good, and everyone is doing well and looking forward to the holidays, followed by this child's arrival. It's an exciting time!

Seven {7}

I'm never sure where the time goes...

...but the memories are there. And they are precious.

Happy 7th Birthday to our daughter, Danae. First-born, fulfilling the tell-tale characteristics of such.

Artsy and loves to create things. Helpful beyond compare. Mature and so intelligent for a seven-year-old little girl. And oh, so loved!

She's enjoying cupcakes with her classmates today, waiting for her mama and brother to show up for lunch at school later, excited to open her gifts from us before small group tonight.

Happy birthday, my girl.

September Update

So, based on my lack of posts, I'm sure you can tell that life's been busy. With school and activities in full-swing, it never seems to be boring in our household.


We took our final beach trip over Labor Day weekend...something we did the past couple of years. I say beach trip as if it's a big deal...but growing up on the beaches of NJ and having my parents who still live there is definitely a plus! And while it wasn't crazy-windy like last year, the waves were a bit overwhelming at times (I won't rehash the story...let's just say that my sister-in-law and I will probably never, ever again swim and hold children at the same time. I had nightmares for a week, Christa!)

Danae is doing rather well in first grade. Let me just tell you, though - between the packing lunches every morning, remembering which cycle day we're on, figuring out the weather and outfits, scheduling meetings, homework, projects, dealing with the emotional breakdowns (both hers and mine)...I swear, having a child in school is like adding a part-time job to the Mama's workload! Thankfully I love, love, love planning and calendarizing (do you like that word?), so it just takes a few weeks for everything to fall into place. Danae is seriously such a smart little cookie...and just like last year, we are needing to ask her teacher to challenge her a bit more. She does love school, but complaints of "I'm bored" are trickling in, so we'll need to get that remedied.

Caedon is...well, Caedon. Still all-boy, with snuggles and love in-between. Recently, while out dove hunting with his father and almost in tears, my son informed his Daddy-O that he doesn't want to grow up and move away from us. EVER. While I love this boy's snuggles and affection, deep down I'm wondering if he will still be with us when he's thirty.

Life for us, the parents, marches on, with church youth group starting (Sunday nights are a BLAST!), small group, school/school board meetings back in full-bloom, elder meetings, school functions to be at, work remaining busy, etc. We are getting a few house projects done and planning some small ones for the fall, and I'm looking forward to the ever-dropping temps! Never thought I'd say that, being a lover of the warm weather, but I seriously felt like an oven this summer.


And me...well, I'm just large, and getting larger by the day. That seems to be the word I use when people ask how I'm doing and they can't see me - "I'm large. We are having either another big boy or a chubby girl. How's it going out there?"


Here I am, two days shy of being 5 months along:

 (About 90% of my wardrobe is courtesy of friend Sarah and sister-in-law Shila. No, seriously...)

The bambino is healthy and growing steadily, measuring about two weeks bigger then he/she should right now. I'm being told by our nice friends and family that I'm "all belly", sticking straight out the front, looking good. However, when I asked my honest and realistic almost-seven-year-old daughter if I looked pregnant from the back, she informed me that my butt is big, and that it's because I'm pregnant. Eh...the poor kid doesn't know she's been blessed with the Puerto Rican behind as well, so she'll have it someday, too.


More updates to come!

1st grade and more...

So many "firsts" this week...


Monday: The first day of 1st grade for my first-born. And the first time she is in school all.day.long. *sigh* I miss that kid.



Today: The first time Danae is buying lunch at school. She gets to pick a day each week and was SO excited to be a big kid and buy it today.

Tomorrow: We pick up our first minivan. Hello, world of minivan drivers! We tried to avoid it, but there's no way to slam three car seats across the back of our beloved Outback. So, we said goodbye to her and meet our new/used ride tomorrow afternoon.



Throughout the week: feeling light punches and kicks from the child within for the first time. Love this feeling. :)


Hope you are enjoying your last week of August! One more beach day for us, and then I say bring on the Fall!

Happy 4th

Four years ago today, just after midnight, my first son was born.


Four years old...

Enjoying his most-requested (and only sometimes made) breakfast: wheat cinnamon rolls

My mind is always baffled by how quickly time goes by. How my baby went from infant to toddler to little boy, seemingly in a flash! I remember Caedon's birth so vividly. Natural, not too long, feeling great afterward...the easiest birth, yet my largest baby (he was just a hair under 10 pounds, 22 inches in length).

Now, my Caed is an all-action, dirt and wrestling-loving boy. He's so sensitive...loving to his mama and big sister...quick to hug and touch...often saying he wants a roommate to snuggle with. Yet, he's full of testosterone and creativity, often playing with dinosaurs and Legos for hours, setting up scenes and holding imaginary conversations. I could just sit and watch him all day!

Tonight, instead of taking him out to eat, Caedon chose "mac n' cheese at home" as his birthday dinner. He is a complete homebody at heart, often wanting to stay home instead of going to a store or someone's home. He's also a lover of fruits and vegetables, preferring both over his main meal. His birthday cake request? "I want a cake with apple slices in it." Needless to say, there's a part-wheat Jewish Apple Cake in my oven right now. :o)


Oh, how we love our Caedon and wouldn't trade or wish to change him for anything. Today, we celebrate him!

Costa Rica, Numero Uno

One week ago, Curt, myself, our friend/fellow Messiah grad/youth pastor Brandon, and nine senior high youth groupers hopped on a plane to Costa Rica. Our mission: meet up with Andy and Tina Gordley (missionaries from our church, living in Costa Rica), build bunk beds for a local children's home, work on much-needed renovations and small projects at the Gordley's home and another missionary family's home, interact with children at a local soccer ministry, check out a beach, and be exposed to the culture and lifestyle of Costa Ricans in general. Little did we know that many of us would fall in love with the people we met and learn many lessons (both big and small) along the way.

It's difficult to sum up this trip in just a few words. It would take me an entire day to provide details, explain what we did, describe the people we interacted with...it was quite an exceptional week. One that I would do again in a heartbeat.

I'll be writing blog posts in the coming days and weeks, providing stories, details, and pictures. For now, enjoy the following: