The Andersons

Visit from Aunt Lori!

2009-06-17T12:20:00.003-05:00

We were so excited to have Aunt Lori in Dallas for a visit this weekend! She hadn't met Harper until now, and it looks like they are going to be fast friends. I don't have any photos, but will try to post one soon. We had so much fun hanging out with Aunt Lori and really appreciated her help with the Arbonne parties - great turnout and lots of fun!

Can't wait for Harper to meet the rest of the Luceros at Christmas! We love you Aunt Lori!

Pool Time

2009-06-17T12:11:00.003-05:00

I promise to do some posting of all the things I've neglected to post in the past few months! For now, here's a photo of Harper playing in her new pool this weekend. She's a big fan. Of course, I slathered her in sunscreen but forgot to put it on myself, so I've been dealing with a burned back. Further proof that the mommy mush has invaded - and now completely taken over - my brain.

That's a monkey on her suit...fitting for my little monkey!

On another note, we're so glad that our buddy Bailey Jack Beck got to come home from the hospital yesterday. He was apparently a SUPER STAR patient and is recovering from his heart surgery so well, that they released him yesterday. So many people have been praying for this sweet little boy and his parents - God is good!

Hello out there?!

2009-06-02T16:08:00.003-05:00

Hello! We're back and ready to blog. I have no real excuse for our little blogging hiatus except, well, we've been busy! We've taken a few trips, eaten lots of new foods (Harper, not me. I'm sticking with my old standbys...sweets and Mexican food...obviously...), taken Harper for her first swim, gotten baptized, had a visit from Nana & Papa, and lots of other fun stuff. I'll post about all of these uber-exciting activities later today, but thought I'd leave you with this little jewel of a photo. It's Miss Harper in her new swim getup, sunbathing on her Daddy's lap over Memorial Day. It just makes me grin from ear to ear. As only my little Stinkerbell can do.

Caroline's Birthday!

2009-03-04T21:22:00.003-06:00

This one is a little late (surprise!) but we went to our bestest bud Caroline Stewart's birthday party on February 22nd. She is such a big girl and got to eat cake! Harper was eyeing it. I sincerely hope she doesn't get my sweet tooth. In case you aren't familiar with the extent of my love of sweets, the cute little girl scout in our neighborhood delivered our cookies Saturday and two boxes are already gone. Lemon cremes and Dulce de Leche. I'm saving the Tagalongs, since I gave up chocolate for Lent. So far, so good.

Back to the original topic...Caroline's b'day. Caroline's Mommy did a great job planning the party. We had sundaes and cookies and all sorts of other sweet treats (yay!) and it was lots of fun. Here are a few photos...

The birthday girl enjoying her cake. We admire the way she just dove right in.

Harper with Mysti and Caroline. I think maybe she learned how to make that face from Mysti...

Harper with Mysti and Kasey. I promise I was there! I didn't just drop my child off and head to the mall!

Happy Birthday Uncle Christopher!

2009-02-16T21:17:00.003-06:00

Tuesday is Uncle Christopher's birthday (26!) so Harper wanted to send a special message. Actually, she wanted to eat the special message, which was funny until I noticed she had purple permanent marker all over her mouth. I don't think the green baby books advocate this kind of behavior, but you gotta live a little. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you!

PawPaw!

2009-02-10T23:21:00.003-06:00

PawPaw came to visit Harper this past Saturday. We had lots of fun playing and hope he comes to visit again very soon!

I'm wondering when the fascination with the tongue is going to end??

A few more firsts

2009-02-10T23:04:00.003-06:00

Harper has experienced a few more "firsts" in the last few weeks. Super Bowl, Farmer's Market, first birthday party (not ours, Sophie's). In addition to the fun stuff, we've also had our first ear infections (plural. both ears at once.) and first major diaper rash. I'll spare you the sight of that. Harper is feeling a lot better, though. We're working on rolling over and sitting up...neither of which we've accomplished just yet. No rush. Mommy doesn't want these things to happen too quickly!

Harper with Caroline and Aunt Mysti at the Colvins Super Bowl Party. This is right before Caroline gave Harper a few little "love pats" on the head. She didn't want to share her Mommy!Harper taking in the sights at the Farmers Market. She helped Daddy pick out some pretty pansies for our front yard.

Harper all dressed up before Sophie's birthday party. There were lots of big kids there and they even had a bounce house. Harper was mesmerized. Please note the rare occasion when I can get her to smile for the camera. She is usually all smiles until I point the camera at her. We are working on knowing when to ham it up.

Thanks Caroline!

2009-01-22T21:57:00.003-06:00

Harper's bestest buddy, Caroline Stewart, let us borrow some nifty big girl toys. Caroline is almost one, so she has moved on to much more sophisticated play things. Harper has had so much fun with the new Bumbo chair and Rainforest Jumparoo. Thanks Caroline!

First try in the Bumbo. Totally unwilling to close her mouth or smile for the camera.Another day in the Bumbo. This time we wanted to touch our toes. If only I could have gotten what came next in the photo...she completely folded forward and wanted no part of it after that.

Hanging out in the jumparoo. Buster kept licking her legs so she's a little distracted.

All Bundled Up

2009-01-10T11:49:00.003-06:00

The crying subsided for a minute, so I'm taking a minute to add this photo of Harper all bundled up. Nana's good friend Mrs. Hummel knitted this hat (and a matching sweater) for Harper when she was born. Isn't it too cute?

The Grateful Book

2009-01-10T11:41:00.002-06:00

So, maybe everyone already knows about this book. If so, please pardon my enthusiasm. If not, go immediately to your local Barnes and Noble and purchase it for your child. Lovey gave Harper a copy for Christmas and we LOVE reading it. It's called Grateful, A Song of Giving Thanks. And it even comes with a CD with a recording of Art Garfunkel singing the song (not his best work, but really sweet). The author is John Bucchino.

Have to run. The wee one is waking up from her power nap.

Enjoy the book!

At least I wasn't in my bathrobe...

2009-01-08T08:44:00.002-06:00

For those of you keeping track of the Get It Together Plan, hereafter referred to as GIT, I must confess that I took my daughter to school today with a head full of wet hair (mine, not hers...she doesn't really have any hair yet). My mom taught me not to go outside with wet hair, especially when it's 45 degrees out, but I just couldn't help it. To be fair, Harper was clean, fed and dressed in a really cute outfut, so who really cares what I look like, right? I'm guessing the exception to that is my coworkers, who probably wish I would at least put a little lip gloss on. Baby steps, people.

Hotty Toddy!

2009-01-07T22:20:00.004-06:00

In case you missed it, the Rebels put on a great show at the Cotton Bowl last week. The most exciting part, though, was getting to see Lacey and Ham, and Lauren, Jackson and Hudson. We can't wait for Baby Ross to arrive in March. We suspect his mommy is a little ready, too.Lacey, Lauren and Harper
At Mi Cocina. Look at Lauren's cute belly!
At the game. Go Rebs!

Christmas Fun

2009-01-07T22:00:00.002-06:00

We spent Christmas in Ruston this year at Lovey and Big Sam's house. Tobi and Tori got a Wii, which provided hours of entertainment (mostly for the big kids). We went to Granddaddy and Vergie's with the Shealy gang on Christmas Eve. Then PawPaw came over on Christmas Day, along with Grandma and Papaw. Uncle Christopher was in town from New Orleans, too. A side note to Uncle Christopher - we don't care if you lost a bet...shave your beard!
Daddy and Harper on Christmas Eve. Harper is slightly obsessed with her tongue, so she likes to stick it out in photos. I tried, but she wasn't willing to cooperate.

Clearly Santa was getting there fast enough.

All dressed up in the cute outfit from Nana and Papa.

Mommy's little candy cane

Mommy and Harper before Harper's first Christmas party. Note the wreath on the floor in the background. It stayed in that very same spot until the decorations went back into the attic. Further evidence for the "get it together" plan.

Catching Up

2009-01-07T21:49:00.002-06:00

So, it's clearly been a while since I've posted anything. I doubt anyone is surprised. I have, however, decided to turn over a new leaf in 2009. My New Year's resolution is...to get it together. I think that's broad enough to cover most of the areas in my life that need work. It's also just vague enough so that I won't feel like a total loser this time next year when I have accomplished absolutely nothing (read: if I still have baby weight to lose and haven't finished writing thank you notes).

I do have a (somewhat) detailed list of what getting it together entails, but I will spare you the boring details. I will say, however, that at the top of the list (right above baby weight) is to be more grateful and count my blessings daily. Topher and I were given the most precious gift this year and I don't want to take one minute of that for granted.

I'll update with photos of Christmas and various activities in November and December in the next few posts.

Happy New Year!

New Look

2008-11-24T21:47:00.002-06:00

Yes, you're seeing this correctly. I (the not-so-great-blogger) have added a fancy new Christmas background to the ol' Anderson blog. In the spirit of the holiday season, I will confess that I stole the idea from my friend Suzanne. There. I've said it. I'm a copycat blogger.

Granddaddy's Birthday

2008-11-15T07:42:00.005-06:00

We made our second trip to Ruston last weekend for Granddaddy's birthday party. He turned 80 years old and most of our family was there to help him celebrate. We had a big family photo taken Saturday afternoon and a wonderful dinner at Granddaddy and Vergie's house on Saturday night. We also got to see PawPaw, who came over from Jackson to spend the day with us, and Grandma, who came over from Minden to see us.

Buster came home with us after his trip to "camp" at Lovey and Big Sam's house. They were working with him on some slight behavioral issues. He seems to be a little better, but I think he misses being with Brandy and Bubba. Maybe he'll go back to camp soon...

We don't have any photos from the party, but here's a cute shot of Harper getting ready for the party. We've almost grown out of Lovey's sink.

Congratulations to the Audi Family

2008-11-15T07:40:00.003-06:00

Just a quick congratulations to Kim and Daniel Audi on the birth of their son, Josiah Daniel. He is so precious and has a head full of beautiful red hair. Congratulations!

Our Little Lobster!

2008-11-15T07:33:00.002-06:00

This post is, of course, long overdue. Harper was a lobster for her first Halloween, and I have to say I think she made a pretty cute one. We didn't actually go out trick or treating this year, but we did have lots of kiddos come to our house asking for candy.

Harper enjoying her time as a lobster. Uncle Christopher thinks we should say it's a crawfish...

When she finally figured out this wasn't really all that fun and started wailing.

Harper and Big Tex

2008-10-28T22:17:00.002-05:00

This is a little late (surprise), but here are a few photos from our trip to the State Fair a few weekends ago. We're not sure if Harper enjoyed it or not, but we sure had fun eating fried pickles and funnel cake. Daddy even won Harper a Nemo toy...after she became suspicious that the Denver Broncos football and Jayhawks basketball he won weren't really for her.

Daddy and Harper with Big Tex

Harper's First Trip to Ruston

2008-10-22T00:52:00.002-05:00

Well, it was actually her first trip outside of Dallas. We packed up (seriously, there was so much baby gear in my car I could barely see) and headed to Ruston for a visit last week. It was a very fun visit as I got to introduce Harper to some very special people. Although Harper can't really verbalize it, I'm sure she had fun. It could have something to do with Lovey spoiling her every chance she gets. The posts below are some of the highlights from our trip.

Louisiana Trip - Sunshine and Cullen

2008-10-22T00:44:00.003-05:00

This was a big moment for Harper...she finally got to meet Sunshine. Ms. Charlene is a very special lady and I was very excited for Harper to meet her!
We were also glad that Cullen was spending the day at Sunshine's house. Here he is playing with his new toy. Isn't he cute?!

Louisiana Trip - Granddaddy gets an award!

2008-10-22T00:36:00.002-05:00

We were glad that the timing of our trip worked out so that we could see Granddaddy receive his Outstanding RHS Alumni Award. We are very proud of him! The majority of my family members are RHS graduates, so it was really neat to take Harper to be there for the event. She even got to hear everyone sing the alma mater!

Louisiana Trip - Lindsey and Drake

2008-10-22T00:33:00.002-05:00

Another highlight of the trip was getting to meet my cousin Lindsey's new baby Drake. He is too cute! And he is already good at sharing - he gave Harper one of his magic pacifiers and we will forever be grateful!

Louisiana Trip - Meeting Heather

2008-10-22T00:28:00.002-05:00

Here is Harper with Mommy's friend Heather. We were very excited to meet Heather, although it doesn't show with Harper's wardrobe choice. Next time we see Heather we will wear one of the cute outfits she gave us.

Louisiana Trip - Angie and Sarah Kate

2008-10-22T00:24:00.002-05:00

Harper finally got to meet Mommy's friend Angie and her precious daughter Sarah Kate. We think they will be great friends - Sarah Kate was already holding Harper's hand! Harper was impressed by Sarah Kate's head full of hair and was thinking she might like to have hair some day too!

Louisiana Trip - Harper and Grandma

2008-10-22T00:21:00.001-05:00

Grandma and Papaw came to spend the day with us and brought homemade gumbo and chocolate pie...yummy!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-22T00:03:00.002-05:00

I was dying to get Harper to the Pumpkin Patch to take some cute photos, but kind of forgot it might be a little difficult since she can't hold her head up yet. We propped her up against the pumpkins and managed to get a few cute shots. $50 worth of pumpkins and an upset baby later, here are a few pictures.

Harper's 2 Week Photos

2008-10-03T09:24:00.002-05:00

So, this is a little late but for those of you with a little spare time on your hands, Harper's two week photos are online. My friend Jill came over and took some great photos of Harper. She was so patient and easy to work with...especially when Miss Priss peed and pooped everywhere during the "naked baby" shots.

You can see the slide show (or order pictures if you are so inclined) at www.jillybeanphotography.com. Go to Galleries and click on Harper. The password is Anderson.

Whew! Five posts in one day! I think I'm caught up now and will try to add posts regularly in the future.

Have a great weekend!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2008-10-03T08:23:00.004-05:00

In case you haven't heard, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a cause that has become even more near and dear to my heart since my mom (also affectionately known as Lovey) was diagnosed with breast cancer this year. She had a mastectomy and has completed her chemo...all while keeping an incredibly positive attitude and strong heart. She's amazing! So, here are two things that caught my attention while I was feverishly catching up on the daytime TV I've missed over recent years.

The Love/Avon Army of Women group was on the Today show this week with a great message.
Check out their website if you have a few minutes. And sign up if you're eligible!
Their goals are:

-To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.

-To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women.

http://www.armyofwomen.org/

Also, Ellen DeGeneres is raising money for Susan G Komen on her show and website. She has "Laugh, Dance, Cure" t-shirts (and some other items) if you're looking for a cute way to support the cause.
http://www.ellentv.com/

Just because...

2008-10-03T08:17:00.001-05:00

More Special Visitors

2008-10-03T08:05:00.003-05:00

This week Harper got to meet Granddaddy and Vergie. They were in Dallas to celebrate Vergie's birthday and took us to a yummy dinner at Mi Cocina.

Nana and Papa Come to Visit

2008-10-03T07:57:00.002-05:00

Nana and Papa came all the way from Colorado to meet Harper. We had a great time during their visit. Papa fixed a lot of things around the house and Nana made sure we were fed and happy. We can't wait to see them again!
Harper meets Nana and Papa

Harper Update

2008-09-23T11:39:00.005-05:00

So, I know I promised to keep this updated and I will try to do better in the future...we've been just a little busy the past 3 weeks!

Harper is doing very well. We went to the pediatrician yesterday for our 2 week checkup (just a little late, as she's now 3 1/2 weeks old). She now weighs 9 lb 2 oz and is 21 3/4 inches, so she is definitely growing.

Here are a few of her firsts over the past few weeks...

Leaving the hospital for first car ride and trip home. Thanks Aunt Kathy and Uncle Andy for my pretty pink dress!

First doctor's visit...

First doctor's visit continued. Note the wardrobe change, which was a result of the first major poop. Fortunately, we didn't get any photos of that.

First bath, which Harper enjoyed and Mommy was terrified of. Luckily Lovey and Daddy were there to help.

First photo shoot. Lots of fun for Mommy and Lovey. We're not sure if Harper enjoyed it quite as much.

She's here!

2008-08-30T13:18:00.007-05:00

Harper Alise Anderson joined us yesterday, August 29th at 4:19 pm. She weighed in at 7 lb 8 oz and measured 20 1/4 inches. We couldn't be more excited to finally have her here and can't wait for her to meet everyone!

AHB Baby Shower

2008-08-01T14:40:00.005-05:00

Today was the baby shower hosted by Jenn's sweet bosses, Jody and Ana. The entire office and several clients met at Mariposa in Neiman Marcus for a high tea luncheon. Yummy food (especially the desserts!) and great company made it a special treat. Baby Anderson received LOTS of baby gear and cute outfits, so she should be all set. Thank you everyone!

Check out all of the gifts...and the super cute diaper cake that Laura made. There were gifts in every tier...and she even used the "granola" diapers!

Baby's first Halloween outfit. Too cute!

Dessert towers!!

Caroline Gets Christened

2008-07-30T15:38:00.003-05:00

Just a few photos of Caroline Stewart's Christening this weekend. She looked like a little angel and was very good through the whole ceremony. It has been so fun to watch her grow and develop her cute little personality. We can't wait for her to meet Baby Anderson!

34 weeks...and growing...

2008-07-25T14:38:00.002-05:00

Just 6 weeks to go! We had our 34 week checkup this week and everything looks great. We'll hopefully have a sonogram in the next few weeks to see if we can determine how big Baby Anderson is.

Baby Shower

2008-07-25T14:16:00.003-05:00

What a fun weekend! Lots of friends and family gathered at Mi Cocina for a wonderful baby shower. Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate...especially those who had a long trip. And a special thanks to Mysti, Kasey, Lacey, Lauren and Lauren for being such great hostesses. You, too, Catie Carlyle - we missed you!

Wonderful hostesses! Lacey, Lauren, me, Mysti, Lauren and Kasey

Marilyn, Lori and Taylor came in from Denver for a girls weekend. We loved having them here and appreciate the long trek they made...in the July heat!...to be with us for the weekend.

Mom and Grandma came in from Louisiana. Baby makes 4th generation!

Kasey and Mary rubbing the belly - believe it or not the belly seems to have grown since this weekend...

Daddy carrying the first of many pink presents for his little girl!

Nursery Update

2008-07-25T14:08:00.002-05:00

Just a few pics of the bedding and nursery. We still have some finishing touches to put on the baby's room, but at least she has a place to sleep now!

Nursery Decorating

2008-06-20T15:59:00.009-05:00

Just a few pics of Daddy, Lovey and Big Sam painting the nursery. Thanks for all of the help guys!
Plus one of Topher putting the crib together. He did a great job!

Welcome...again!

2008-06-20T15:50:00.000-05:00

Obviously it has taken me a while to send out the email notifying our nearest and dearest about the blog. I originally wrote the Welcome entry on June 5th. Today is obviously not the 5th, but the 20th. Hopefully that's not an indication of how often I'll get around to future updates...

Today marks Week 29...less than 3 months to go!

Welcome!

2008-06-05T09:56:00.002-05:00

Hi! Welcome the our new blog. Several people have asked if we were planning to do something like this so our out-of-town friends and relatives could keep up with the baby news. Well, 27 weeks into the pregnancy, I've finally gotten around to it. We've been big fans of several of our friends' blogs for quite a while - especially Baby Caroline Stewart (although we suspect she's not creating those posts by herself) - so we thought we'd give it a shot. Feel free to check back often for updates...I'll try to keep new photos and info updated regularly.

Enjoy!