Lucy's New Word

Joining the ranks of "apple" (sometimes known as "app-ee"), "Ball" (sometimes known as "bah"), "Star" (dah), Mamamamaa and Dadadadada, we can announce the newest vocabulary addition:

"Uh.....oh"

...said with a considerable pause between the 2 syllables. Often used before and/or after she has dropped a sippy cup, thrown cheerios, ripped another page out of a book or...just because.

Make Me a Bird so I can Fly Far, Far Away...

Hear ye, Hear ye, Bill and Steph will be heading out this very night on their first Weekend Away ALONE.

After 15 months without a true vacation, we will be heading HERE for the night. Good eating and shopping are on our list of "to-do's," as well as sleeping in a bit! We will miss Lucy SO much, but we also know it is good to get away once in a while!

Wish us luck, and pray that Lucy has a good weekend with Grammy and Granddad!

October 2009 Update

It's been a while.

I know.

I've been really enjoying the blogging opportunities I have had on the WCGM Blog and my Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom blog, so I've let the Anderson Chronicles fall by the wayside. Luckily, I have a wonderful and dear friend named GWYNETH who lives in Africa, and she always encourages updates here. I also love updating here, because it's the closest thing I have to keep record of Lucy (no, I don't have a baby book for her. Don't judge me).

A lot has been happening in our lives, which has contributed to the lack of posting. Here they are in no particular order:

1) My sister, Melissa, is getting married TOMORROW. That has required some time and energy over the past few months, particularly THIS month. Especially THIS week.

2) We are moving. Big decision. Last you heard, we were buying a house. That fell through, and we were suddenly in financial position to not buy a house. That's ok. We can handle it. We prayed a lot about it, looking for discernment about our next move. To fulfill our dream of being homeowners (especially if we EVER want to welcome another baby into our family), we will be moving in with my mom. That's a hard decision - sacrificing independence and autonomy to BE dependent again. For a short time, anyway. But short term sacrifices are worth it for long term rewards. While it was a hard decision, both of our families have been outstandingly supportive, and we are grateful that my mom is welcoming us with open arms.

3) Bill started his first FULL year as a teacher at Henderson High School. I am continually amazed at how gifted he is as a teacher. Teaching was something Bill was made to do. He loves his job and he really enjoys WHERE he is teaching. I am so happy for him! Bill has an added responsibility this year: overseeing the Warrior, HHS school newspaper. This has proved a great challenge, but Bill has tackled it gracefully.

4) I've started babysitting Monday nights. Friends of ours, the Weebers, have 3 kids, ages 8, 5 and 2. They needed a babysitter Monday evenings (3-9), and I wanted to try to get a part-time job. So far, it is working out great. I love the chance to learn how to "parent" older kids, since I will eventually HAVE older kids. Learning how to discipline, play, do homework, get these kids ready for bed has been fun and an education!

5) We have an almost 15-month old. This is exciting, tiring, challenging and a joy! Lucy is a beautiful girl, inside and out. She is energetic, rambunctious and very talkative. Most of her words are indecipherable, but "Dadadada," "Mamamamama," "bah" (ball), "doh" (Dog), "dat" (that...we think?) and "hah-pull" (apple, or anything that resembles an apple). She can identify her nose, mouth, ears, head, hair, tummy, hands, feet and elbow. I'm intrigued at how much she can comprehend despite not being able to speak. I can ask her to get something or pick up a certain toy - and she knows exactly what I am asking. I'd like to try to work on sign language more and more, as I feel that will bridge the communication gap. Lucy snuggles and laughs and tickles. She is a joy and we LOVE her more and more every day!

So....that is the Anderson Update. Perhaps we'll be able to update more in the future. Until next weekend, though, we will be out of commission, as our official move date is October 31.

Wish us luck! And we'd love to hear from you!

Happy Birthday, Lucy Love!

Lucy. You first came into my life 2 days after Thanksgiving, when I fumbled to understand the meaning of a stick bearing 2 lines instead of one. A baby. I was to have a baby. What does that mean? This was not part of the plans! I am so unprepared.

Inside me you grew for 9 months, expanding, rolling, kicking, squirming. At 7 weeks, I saw your heartbeat: a flicker inside a small pouch up on a screen. At 20 weeks, your arms, your legs, your face. This small silhouette on the screen was beautiful. A girl. Our daughter.

Your Daddy and I spent every moment of the summer together: Walking, laughing, driving, chatting. We grew to love each other more, as we shared our joys and fears of the inevitable change that would be coming to our life. Parents. We were going to be parents. To a baby girl. The only comfort we shared was that we’d be in it together. A team. For life.

It was Daddy who came up with the name Lucy. Lucy the Valiant, from the Chronicles of Narnia, a noble character. The name of your great-great Grandmother. A sweet little girl’s name. Lucy.

August 1, 2008 came and went, with no sign of Lucy arriving on your due date. We waited, spending our days as normal as possible. The following Tuesday, we met friends at Landmark Americana, and had appetizers and good conversation. I had a feeling you were getting ready to make your arrival. We went home after the tab was paid. Contractions started, and we went to the hospital at 3am, only to get sent home first thing in the morning. Deflated, frustrated, we took a nap after a long night. The only hidden happiness was the hope you might arrive on your Daddy’s (and his grandpa’s) birthday.

Contractions again, later that night. 24 hours of wondering, “Is this it? Is it time?” 24 hours of fear and anticipation. 24 hours too long. We make the familiar drive to the hospital, finally getting the affirmation we needed: It’s time! Laboring and one epidural later, it was morning, and at 10am, I began to push. Progress was slow, but eventually steady. At 12pm on the dot, August 7, 2008 (your daddy’s 24^th birthday), your lungs filled with air. 6 lbs, 5 oz….20.5 inches long.

You were here.

You were beautiful.

And off we went, you and I, on this adventure of Mother-Daughterhood. I had no idea what I was doing. You were so small. You cried. I cried. Daddy cried. Life as we knew it was over. But what a great life we were beginning. Together.

Days passed. Diapers. Feedings. Napping. Not napping. Sleepless nights. Spit up. A rhythm was forming, and we began to understand one another. We started to get this “family” thing down. Days turned into weeks. 3 weeks, I saw your first smile. 3 months I got a full nights sleep. 4 months, you rolled over. 6 months you sat up by yourself. 8 months, the day after Easter, you became mobile, and crawling became your favorite pastime. Crawling quickly turned into cruising, which inevitably meant a lot of falling. And staying true to your pattern of new milestones every 2 months, you began taking your tentative first steps at 10 months old.

Suddenly, you were no longer a baby. You were a toddler. A little girl. When had time slipped away?

Lucy. Your name means “light.” And “light” defines you so appropriately. You light up a room as soon as you enter it. Anyone who is around you cannot help but smile. Your laugh is contagious. You love life. You love people. While you may be shy in new situations, you quickly warm up. You explore everything: grabbing, touching, teething, pointing. You are quick, halfway across the room before I know you are gone. You hardly ever sit still, and your energy amazes me.

You are independent and emotional. Every need you have, you make known! From day one, you were exercising your voice. Those newborn cries gave way to coos, laughs and babble. Babbling is now slowly turning into words. Putting a cell phone up to your ear, you ask, “Halla?” Following suit of your friend, Aiden, you have learned the word, “Ball,” and point out your bouncy ball every chance you get.

We love to snuggle. Although it usually only lasts for seconds, you lay your head in my lap, you caress my cheek, you play with my hair. Some days, you get to sneak into bed with Daddy and I. You laugh, trying to wake up Daddy. We play peek-a-boo. And in a sweet moment, you lay your head next to mine, and we gaze into each other’s eyes, understanding something unspoken.

I cherish these moments.

You love your Daddy. When the doorknob turns at 3:30pm, you quickly look up from what you are doing because you know who will walk through the door. You love to sit in his lap best of all and read a book. Daddy plays his guitar, and you are mesmerized. You bounce, dance and sing along with him. You love to pat his hair. He is your Daddy Man.

You love to make us laugh. And in turn, we make ourselves fools to hear that beautiful sound coming from your lips. I would run for days on end if it meant I would hear you laugh.

I am so proud of everything you do.

My old life, as I know it, is gone. Yet, somehow I did not live until you were placed in my arms. What did I do before Lucy? Where did I find my joy? You have been so gracious as I stumbled on this new path of Motherhood. I was really clueless from the start, but I am learning more every day what it means to love you and take care of you.

You are my firstborn. You, and you alone, have made me a mother. A mommy. Mom. You have taught me how to comfort, how to soothe, and how to be patient. You have forgiven me when I mess up, and I am sorry it is (still) so often. You bring me joy. You have shown me how to love. I understand, now, God’s love for me simply because of the love He has placed in my heart for you.

One year ago, my life began with yours. Here’s to one year more.

I love you, Lucy.

You are beautiful.

~ Mommy

So, It's Been A While...

My apologies, Friends. I know that most of you who read this fumbling blog see us on a mostly-regular basis. But, for those who do not (and for the posterity of maintaining some sort of semblance of a historic chronology, seeing as I do not journal and have not kept one lick of a baby book for Lucy), it is important to put some updates and offer and apology.

So, I'm sorry.

It's been a busy few months here in the Anderson Household. Lucy is getting to be quite the Big Girl! I believe that I noted on this blog that she started crawling the day after Easter (April 13, to be exact). Simultaneously, she started pulling herself up and cruising while holding onto furniture. In the 2+ months since then, Lucy has become a speedracer, crawling across the room in the blink of an eye, and even just recently started taking some bold solo steps (mostly 1 or 2, but yesterday she did a solid half room's length on her own!). I'm so proud of her. Bill and I were noting just how FUN she is. Lucy has such a personality - she is chatty, silly and emotional. Maybe "big" personality is more accurate. While it can be frustrating at times to parent this kind of personality (with many more challenges to come, I know, I know), it has given me an opportunity to surrender Lucy to God - praying that God would use her boldness, verbosity and confidence to give Him Glory. What a great way to put a positive spin on something that could be a negative. :) Lately, we love that she loves life - always laughing and learning new things (like putting a blanket over her head to play peek-a-boo, pointing, clapping, looking under things like shirts or blankets for whatever might be hiding underneath, etc). We love her so much!

Oh, and about 3 days ago, we noticed a little tooth trying to come through on the bottom FINALLY (she's only 10 1/2 months old, for goodness sakes)! It's still just a rough corner, but it will be through any day now, with a few more to follow, I'm sure.

Bill finished his first year (well, half year) at Henderson High School. He ended the year with a bang, and I couldn't be more proud of him. He loves his job, and that warms my heart. I wanted so badly for him to enjoy waking up and going to work - which he does. Bill is now on break until...mid-August! AUGH! These past 2 days of being together (and having the help of another person during the day) has been wonderful. I'm grateful for the kind of job he has, which affords us the money we need and a lot of time to spend together. Bill misses the amount he rides his bike (a few months ago, we sold our second car, becoming a one-car family, and Bill was commuting to work via bike with another teacher who lives close by), but is making up for that by setting a plan to brew some beer later this week.

As you can imagine, with such a busy baby and husband, I have been busy as well! Lucy keeps me on my toes, and I am so often exhausted by the time I get Lucy to bed, and am ready for bed myself. I've been keeping busy with my Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom Blog, and a new opportunity which has come my way: blogging for the West Chester Grower's Market Blog. Writing for the WCGM is a real treat, as I have really come to love the Market. Somehow, slowly, Buy Fresh Buy Local has become an important cause for me. Supporting local agriculture, our local economy/businesses, and a deeper focus on the environment has really begun to shape my life. Maybe this seems like a big deal to me because I previously was completely ignorant to these things - apart from the random recycling bin I'd bump into from time to time. I am taking small steps, and I know every step makes a difference. I can't say my whole life is Green, but I am working on it. :)

God has been so good to us, and we are humbled and thankful. Our current adventure, which I will keep you up on, is house-hunting. We'll let you know how it goes!

That is what is going on in our household. More updates to come. Here are some pictures of the past few months [The first is a picture of Lucy in May saying "hi" after a nap. The other 3 are from this past weekend, while we celebrated Father's Day (June 21, 2009)].

Will Post Soon...

Hi Friends

SO much to catch up on. I will post some updates and pictures this week (camera battery died - ug). I've been spending most of my time on the other BLOG - let me know if you check it out! I promise, though, that there will be good ol' Anderson Family Updates ASAP!

Much Love,

Steph

Director's Cut

Thought I'd try out uploading a video. I want to see how blog savvy I am. :) I also thought it'd be easier to relay Lucy's new mobility via movie. Enjoy!