The Anderson Chronicles

Happy Birthday to Maggie Moo!

2012-01-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

I haven't done much with this blog. So much has happened to the Anderson's in the last 2 years (since I last posted): moving out of my Mom's house, buying our first home in Kennett Square, missing West Chester, becoming pregnant with Maggie, Maggie being born, Lucy starting preschool, and about a thousand other things that have really shaped our lives.

Poor Maggie hasn't even be introduced on this blog. But she's here, and she's amazing, and since today is her birthday, I wanted to give her a little blog love.

*****

It never ceases to amaze me how fast one year can truly fly. It seems only yesterday we were transitioning to being new parents at the arrival of Lucy. And yet, we've survived not only parenting one child, but two. Two beautiful girls. Two total blessings.

Maggie, you are a true delight.

One year ago today, you came into this world. It was a bit of a surprise, as you weren't due until January 14. But at my 38 week check up, they were a bit worried about my amniotic fluid level and your low heart rate, and had me go for further checking. Upon a stress test and ultrasound, it was decided it was in your best interest to be born ASAP.

I might have cried.

Mainly because I wasn't ready. I was ready for you to come in a week and a half. To go into labor on my own. But instead, I found myself walking out of the appointment with little 2-and-a-half year old Lucy tugging at my hand. It was freezing cold that day. I had nothing ready! My bag wasn't packed! Daddy was at school! What would I do with Lucy?

After calling Daddy, and thoroughly freaking him out, I dropped Lucy off at Briana's house. I was grateful for the group of people who came to stay with you and take care of you while we were at the hospital. I took a pill every few hours to start labor, but all was quiet until about 4am. Contractions started, my water broke, and pain levels skyrocketed. In the next 2 hours, life became blurry. Traffic of nurses and doctors in and out. The arrival of my epidural. My epidural not working. No one believing me. Needing to push, and being completely scared to do it without pain medication. But at 7am, you quickly arrived shortly after pushing.

I can't remember pain, only taking you into my arms. You were beautiful.

And you've been beautiful ever since.

I went into your first year thinking I'd have the parenting thing under my belt. I thought I would know how to do everything, how to address every situation. I knew there would be an adjustment: figuring out life with two, overcoming the rush of hormones, the healing of my body. And in some ways, much was the same. I knew how to deal with crying, how to change a diaper, how to handle illness.

But you've taught me so much in the last year. You've showed me that parenting is an ongoing class, and there is never an end to learning. You have a very different disposition than your sister. You communicate differently. You learned to sleep differently. You like different things, dislike others. I learned how important it is to embrace differences and uniqueness instead of trying to micromanage things to be exactly how I want them.

Maggie, you light up a room. You are such a happy, delightful girl who smiles all the time. You love people, and quickly warm to new friends. I love how you embrace life, explore and adventure. And although she really gives you a run for your money, you are so completely in love with your big sister, Lucy. Sure, there are scuffles over legos, pushes and shoves. But when Lucy comes in the room with her gusto and big personality, you squeal with delight and can't take your eyes off her. We could give you any number of toys, but you would always rather be into whatever Lucy is into (much to her dismay).

Give her time - I trust you and Lucy will become the best of friends.

You love your Daddy. When he comes home, you toddle as fast as your little legs will take you, babbling "Dadadadadadadada" and lift your arms up to be held. You often don't like being taken from him, and he can make you laugh life no other.

You are a cuddle bug. You like to fit your head into the nook between our heads and shoulders, nuzzling up to our necks. Before bed, after you've had a bottle, I turn off the light and sway with you while we pray and sing. No matter how awake and alert you were when the lights were on, you instantly lay your head on my shoulder and cuddle. At any given moment, you might come over to one of us and just lay your head down. It may only last for a few moments, but it's like you want us to know we are loved. As you are loved.

You are so sweet.

This year, you learned to roll over at 6 months, sit up at 7 months, crawl at 8 months and walk at 11 months. Talk about keeping us on our toes! I loved seeing your first smile around 1 month. You have an amazingly contagious grin. We were taken off guard by seeing your first tooth at 7 months. Lucy didn't get her first tooth until almost 11 months, as did both Daddy and myself. You really like to keep us thinking! And while we aren't hearing words yet, we get glimpses. You say "Dada" for daddy, sometimes we get a "Mama" for mommy, but not consistently. You've held a phone up to your ear and said something along the lines of "ha-oo" for hello. And every once in a while, we hear "zhee zhee" for Gigi!

Although we've faced many trials in 2011, you were by far the brightest and bestest thing that happened to us this year. You made this year good just by being in it.

I can't wait to see what more you have in store for us.

We love you.

Happy first birthday, Margaret Jane!

In Which Lucy Talks. A Lot.

2010-02-06T12:44:00.004-05:00

I initially started this blog as a way to chronicle (hence the name) my life with Bill and the then-upcoming addition of a baby. I had low hopes for my ability to consistently update the blog.

I know myself all too well.

To be fair, I've actually become quite adept at blogging, and I spend most of my time on my other blog, posting for the WCGM Blog, while also being a new contributor to The Philly Moms Blog. It keeps me pretty busy.

Although I don't keep up with this regularly, I do hope to update this blog from time to time mainly for Lucy. Because I love her. And she is awesome. And we don't keep a baby book. And one day we will need this collection of prose to prove Lucy did, in fact, once exist.

Today is January 6, 2010. When I was first born, that sentence would have sounded like the beginning of a science fiction movie. Did really, did we think the world was going to last this long (flashback to "2001: A Space Odyssey")? Anyway. The weather is abominable (literally. I'm pretty sure I saw a Yeti. Or an albino Big Foot) as we endure what Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz is describing as the SECOND BIGGEST SNOW STORM in Philly HISTORY. Until today, December 19's snowstorm ranked second only to the massive blowout we had in the early 90's. So we are hunkering down, enjoying Wii (Bill brought home his school projector, so we are projecting it up on the wall and having a BLAST), eating Monkey Bread and resting comfortably.

Lucy is exactly 18 months old today (well, she will be tomorrow, but does 1 day really matter?). I can't believe time flies so fast. When you have a baby, people tell you all the time, "Enjoy every moment, because it will fly by so fast." And new parents are like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But she cries a lot and I haven't slept in 4 days." But, friends, it's true. It slips away so quickly. And with every moment that passes, I fall more in love with this gift of Lucy.

I was amazed at how much mental and emotional growth happens between 12 and 18 months. Lucy resembles a little girl more so than a baby. She runs, climbs, falls (but not quite yet able to jump). She laughs. I love it when she laughs, and luckily she laughs often. Even as a toddler, her personality is very apparent. She is rambunctious, but sweet. Energetic but snuggly. She is opinionated and sometimes a little bossy. She is adorable.

When Lucy was little, and just starting to coo, someone remarked that she would eventually become one of those non-stop talkers. Even as a cooing baby, she made noises and desperately attempted to communicate all the time. The older she got, the more her inflections mimicked real conversations. Although we didn't speak Baby, Lucy had some very important things to say, and it was obvious. Without words, Lucy could tell you a funny story. Lucy could tell you when she was angry. Lucy could ponder philosophical things.

And now that Lucy is speaking, she truly talks all the time. It started with one or two words close to her first birthday. There was a lull for a few months, and I wondered when she'd being saying more (you know how we first time parents worry). A book I was reading said that between 15 and 18 months, many kids have a language explosion. I wasn't quite sure what that meant, but I would soon find out.

At 16 months, Lucy had added a few more words to her vocabulary. She earnestly observed others while they spoke. And she attempted more words. But just in the last month, Lucy has catapulted into the realm of Talk. It's amazing! Every day, she says more words. Words that I had no idea she'd ever encountered before. Without any help, she is able to connect words to objects. She is able to communicate what she wants ("Eat! Peese!" "Upppp!" "App-oool!" and the ever favorite "No no no" - always spoken in a set of three).

Toddlers blow my mind. While Lucy is bright and precocious, she is only following the same path worn by babies who have gone before her. Maybe I am just floored by how intricately we are woven, and how obvious that is when we can watch a little bean of a baby turn into a beautiful little girl in the matter of 18 months.

God is good. And I look forward to the opportunity to watch Lucy grow even more over the next year. Decade. Lifetime.

Hopefully more to come in the near future (UPDATES, people! Not babies. Atleast, not quite yet. Famous last words, right?)

I'll leave you with a few recent photos of our Little Boo.

Getting Armpit Flabbers from Daddy.

She is laughing uncontrollably in this picture!

Ready for the Big Snow of January 2010!

Pigtails!

Giving Daddy a "Welcome Home From Work" kiss

through the screen door.

At the WC Public Library for Storytime with Momma

Until next time - stay warm!

Lucy's New Word

2009-11-13T08:50:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-11-13T08:47:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-23T08:30:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-08-06T22:39:00.002-04:00

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...

2009-06-23T20:22:00.005-04:00

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...

2009-05-17T15:12:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-04T11:47:00.004-04:00

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!

Did I Mention...

2009-04-30T15:27:00.002-04:00

...that I love this show?

...only 6 hours to go...

Annnnnnnd...She's OFF!

2009-04-30T15:07:00.004-04:00

In the past few weeks since my last post...

...so...

...much...

...has HAPPENED..!

Lucy started CRAWLING the day after Easter, April 13! She was getting close, yet to me, still seemed so far away. She has appeared so content to kind of tripod and keep her one leg under her. Then, one day she just DID it. It was crazy.

And immediately our lives have not been the same.

As soon as Lucy started crawling, she started pulling up on anything and everything (furniture, me, and dangerous/movable things like the vacuum). She stands pretty steady as long as she can hold on or lean on something (sometimes just Mommy or Daddy's finger!), and cruises all around the room. She especially has found a lot of humor in purposely letting go of whatever she is holding onto while standing, and giving a big ol' cheesy grin while she falls back on her bottom.

Oh, Sweet Lucy!

I can't believe she's just a few days shy of being 9 months old. Where has the time gone?!?!? When she plays with her buddy, Aiden, there is less and less of an age difference (they are 6 months apart). A few months ago, Aiden seemed so big and older, while Lucy was little and incapable of most things. Now, the gap is closing, and they will hopefully be able to play together doing (mostly) the same things.

There are also some new babies on the way this summer (not for US, mind you), so Lucy is getting excited to make new friends (Bubba Latta premiering on or around June 13!)

Here are some photos. While it's not the same as watching a live video (I've not yet figured out how to do this), you get the general idea.

Going to do what Lucy does best: Pulling all the books off of the bottom 2 shelves...just to watch Mommy pick them all up...and then doing it again...

Scaling the Mommy-made Graco Barrier. She's quite adventurous.

Lucy crawling! Just TRY to snap a photo, Mom!

Somehow able to snap a quick photo of Lucy

climbing up on her favorite jungle gym: Mommy.

Tell Me Y?

2009-04-02T07:30:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had a moment like this:

You are driving in the car, listening to some good music on the radio. The station you are enjoying goes to commercials, so you scan through all of your other preset stations, looking for something good. You arrive at one of your "staple" stations, expecting a certain kind of music. But...

BAM

They've changed the station on you.

No warning. But a station that once played alternative rock is now spouting synthesizer Gospel. WHAT??

This happened to me the other day, and I'll be honest: It creeps me out.

For those who are from the Philly area, I was listening to 107.5. It wasn't the best station, and it wasn't in my top line of presets. It also came in fuzzy at times, which is another reason I didn't listen to it that often. But, sometimes it would have some solid Classic Rock or Alternative that I could enjoy.

I went to it the other day, and they were playing some poorly synthesizer Gospel music. I was not ready for this. There is nothing wrong with this. I believe everyone should have a radio station, and those people out there who enjoy synthesized Gospel music have added a new preset to their car radio. That's great.

I just wanted a little warning, that's all.

I wasn't as attached to this station, but it flooded me back with memories of several Philly stations in the past decade that went off the air, only to be replaced by a station with a completely different (read: bad) genre of music.

I'm obviously still grieving.

I've recently been missing one radio station in particular: Y100.

I grew up on this radio station. 100.3 FM. Well, until I was in elementary school, it was called "Kiss 100," or something weird like that. It's promo "grab your attention" jingle on television commercials involved the song, "Somewhere (A Place For Us)," by Barbra Streisand. It was previously the kind of station, pre-Delilah, that would have have been DJ'd by Delilah from 8pm-3am.

Then, one glorious day, it was taken over to be Y100. A place for US. A place for ME. Alternative Rock at it's finest. It came at a time where grunge was the look, Greenday was offending our parents, and many of us were mourning the death of Kurt Cobain. I appreciated that, as time passed, the station grew with the current music trends. It also entertained us with Barsky in the morning, Preston and Steve with Caseyboy, Matt Cord and Bret Hamilton.

The one day (with minimal warning) it became a different station.

Playing something like rap or R & B.

*Sigh*

I've really wanted some Greenday, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots to listen to recently. I've found that 104.5 has a decent selection. I also learned that XPN (88.5) has YROCK on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. You can also listen to the online at yrockonxpn.com.

This gives me hope.

But I still miss you, Y100.

So, Radio World, please don't take away any of my other stations. Let me have my rock.

Thanks,

Steph

To Crawl or Not To Crawl

2009-04-01T08:21:00.003-04:00

I am in no rush for Lucy to start crawling.

Our home is not quite baby-proofed, and I could use some time to work on that. I look around and see all kinds of fun things for Lucy to see, play with, ingest and choke on. How is it that we have so many items that could be pulled down so easily onto the precious head of a curious baby?

So, I'm not ready.

But Lucy is getting there.

My heart goes out to her. There is an obvious daily frustration due to not being able to go where she wants, when she wants to. Lucy might want THAT TOY, but it's slightly out of her reach. Lucy might want to get to HER MOMMY, but she's a few feet away. So, in this regard, I would love for Lucy to be able to crawl. I feel it would open her world and give her more of an avenue to explore.

The only thing standing in Lucy's way is Lucy.

Well, her foot to be exact.

Here is a photo chronicle of Lucy's crawling attempts:

Here, Lucy clearly wants to go some place. She gets into this position all the time. To the untrained eye, Lucy looks like she is in "crawling position" - hands and knees on the floor.

What you miss is this - the trouble spot - her Right Leg. For the life of her, Lucy cannot figure out how to get that leg under her. I've done it for her, and the few times she did get it under her, she flopped directly onto her tummy.

So, after many attempts to lunge forward to no avail, Lucy will usually sit up. Here she is waving her arms (in excitement, not frustration)

Oh well, we'll try again tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'll enjoy my not-so-mobile daughter...

...and make the most of this time to BABY PROOF OUR HOUSE!

2 Words...

2009-03-19T21:55:00.002-04:00

...FREE RITAS...

So go get you some...TODAY...

Anderson Updates!

2009-03-19T10:10:00.005-04:00

So, I finally received my camera cord back, so I can give you the visual updates I've promised. This is what has been happening in our lives in the months of February and March:

Lucy enjoying her lunch, me taking photos...

Valentine's Photo Shoot

My Dad (Lucy's Grandpop)'s birthday.

We ventured down to Longneck, Delaware,

to celebrate his big day with

Kathy, Melissa and Jack at Baywoods Country Club.

Aunt Melissa and Uncle Jack with Lucy in Delaware.

She doesn't get to see them as often as she likes,

but she loves them just the same <3

Since I'm usually the one taking pictures,

I felt justified throwing in this photo of Lucy and I.

I love her to pieces. :)

Lucy in her cute new dress

And a cute new bow in her hair

Enjoying Gerber Puffs.

It was also Bill's Dad (Lucy's Granddad)'s birthday -

One day after my Dad's! Crazy!

I love this photo of him,

because it captures the essence of his silliness.

And one last cute Lucy photo.

I couldn't resist!

Bill is still loving his job at Henderson High School. It still amazes me that he goes to our old high school every day. I am continually humbled by how God has, and continues to, provide for us.

Lucy seems to get bigger with each passing day. When I get her first thing in the morning, it's a clean slate for a new adventure. Each day, she is more aware, more capable, more snuggly, more funny. No teeth yet, but I'd imagine she is teething (although, I've been thinking that for months, now). No crawling, but gets closer and closer. It's obvious she is discontent with being stuck in one place, unable to get a toy or go some place different. It's only a matter of time. I'm okay with Stationary Lucy, though. It will be a lot more work for me when she is crawling all over the place!

Now we are just waiting for the warm weather to come consistently and Spring to arrive. FREE RITA'S TOMORROW! WOO HOO!!!!!

Routine

2009-03-09T10:10:00.004-04:00

We survived our weekend in Maryland. Despite the Indian-inspired scent of our hotel room (and the flattest pillows you've ever slept on and uncomfortable mattress and the paper thin walls and...), we had a great time celebrating with Melissa and Jack. We also toured Annapolis on Saturday afternoon. Annapolis = cool town. The town is very European looking (it reminded me of Stratford-on-Avon - the town Shakespeare was born. Bill's aunt, uncle and cousin took us there when we visited them in London). It's on the water and has lots of cool little shops. I had never been there before, and hope to go back for a more extended time of exploration.

Maybe Bill and I will one day be able to get away for a weekend (ok, all you parents out there, stop snickering)...

Despite the good times and fun memories we made, I was surprised to find how happy I was to get home. Our little humble townhouse has already surpassed all of our previous homes. We've moved so much, it's hard to feel "at home" anywhere (which is why we long for the day of owning a home). This place has come the closest.

Last night when we pulled in our parking spot, I almost sighed. There is our home. With our stuff. And our comfortable mattress and our fluffy pillows. The house smells like us and not curry. There is something so great about being home.

I also was surprised to find how excited I was to be back to our routine. Being home all the time, I sometimes fantasize about getting away. Sometimes all I want is to get out and go to the store, so I'm not barricaded in all day! But after having Lucy away all weekend, I just wanted to be back to our familiar surroundings and craved the routine of our everyday. We both do so much better when we know what is coming. I guess there is something to be said for routine. It may be boring, but it's comforting.

So, we're back. We woke up at our normal time, fed, ate, played, and now Lucy is down for a nap. Right on cue, she fell asleep, I got my coffee, and planted myself in front of my computer while I sipped away at my warm caffine-filled wonder drink. It looks like the same day I've had each day since Lucy has been born...

...and I like it that way.

Socks

2009-03-09T06:35:00.002-04:00

I ascribe to the principle of Matching Socks fairly loosely.

You see, it all began one winter day, perhaps much like today, when I attempted to dress myself in the dark. It was an innocent mistake: a navy blue, paired with a jet black sock. I didn't notice my mistake until my lunch break, when I gracefully swung my left leg over my right while eating lunch and reading the paper. The cuff of my pants hiked up an extra 2 or 3 inches, exposing both my sock and my error.

After that, it's been hard to break the cycle of mismatched socks. There is a domino-effect of socks that stems from the fact that my original mistake, involving a navy blue and a black sock, had pairs of their own in the hamper, or in my drawer. And the next day, when I tried to wear navy blue socks, I had only one to wear. So I bent the rules and wore a navy and a grey. Then a grey and a tan. Then a tan and that original black. And now, my sock situation is so out of kilter, I don't even worry about making a match.

I am fine with this. Steph isn't.

"Please. Tell me. You did NOT wear those socks all day today." She might lovingly inquire.

"Um..." I delay. I need time to think. The best response is to say everything in a single breath: "YesbutIcouldn'tfindthematchesanditwasdarkinourroomwhenIgotdressedandnobodyelsenoticedalldayoratleastdidn'tsayanythingandI'msorry."

Phew. I might resolve to have a little more dignity and self respect, and to take a few extra moments to find matching socks. It's not difficult, but it says a lot about a man's sense of pride. But, in all honesty, I know that tomorrow I'm just going to grab two socks. And that Steph will love me anyway.

Our luck...

2009-03-07T09:52:00.006-05:00

So, we arrived safely in Annapolis, MD. I've never been here, but it's a really nice town. Bill, Lucy and I are hoping to explore a bit today, as we wait for family and friends to arrive.

Many of you have read our recent vacation experiences at the Smithton Inn and the Beacon Motel, and have empathized with our ability to survive unique hotel situations.

We cannot seem to shake it.

Remniscent of our first impression of (the first hotel room at) The Beacon, we opened our hotel room suite last night to the smell of...

...Curry...

More to follow...

Toothless Wonder

2009-03-06T09:46:00.002-05:00

My sister, Jess, still has my camera cord hook up dongle thingamajigger, so I have no visual updates of The Andersons (read: Lucy). Jess is promising me, though, that she will bring it to Bowie, Maryland this weekend, as we all venture down for MELISSA AND JACK'S ENGAGEMENT PARTY. WAHOO! I'm excited to celebrate Melissa and Jack, and moreover, to meet Jack's family.

So I'll bring my laptop, and during the down time (??) I'll try to upload some pics.

I'm sleepy this morning. I stare down into my empty coffee mug, and somehow can't remember chugging the caffeine. But I did. I needed it! Lucy had a rough night last night...

Now first let me say, Lucy is a great sleeper. Wayyyy back (refresh yourselves by checking out the blog posts from August - November) she struggled a bit with sleeping. But let's face it - she was a newborn. They have a lot of learning to do about sleeping, because sleeping "right" doesn't come naturally to a baby. After she finally learned to nap (that was a hard one) around Week 5, things got a little easier. A few weeks later, she stretched her night spans (only getting up 1 or 2 times to feed), and started sleeping through the night around 3 months. I can't complain. During months 4-6, though, we had a rough go with daytime napping. While she continued to sleep well at night (waking me with the occasional, "My paci fell out, it's dark, and my limbs are not coordinated enough yet to find it and put it back in. Help."), she started napping for, at most, 40 minutes, maybe 2 or 3 times a day. It was a far cry from the 2-3 hour naps I would get out of her previously. I didn't know what to do! I worried that she wasn't getting enough rest and that this would somehow do serious damage to her mind and body. I scoured every forum, baby website and friend I had for advice. I tried EVERYTHING. The best advice I heard (which seemingly worked) was, "Wait it out."

So I did.

And it worked.

I also started running a fan (mostly for white noise, but it's good practice to have something that circulates the air in a baby's room) during her naps. Suddenly the naps stretched out - and most days she is going 1 - 1.5 hours 2 times a day (with a 30 minute catnap around dinnertime). I've really been thankful to God - because I prayed a LOT about this. It has also helped to establish a more regular routine, which helps me a lot!

That said, she's been fussy recently.

And last night, she woke up every hour and whined a bit. For a few minutes. And eventually went back to sleep each time. But with the monitor 12 inches from my head, you can bet I was up every time she was.

At this stage of the game (she's eating well, she's napping well, she's 7 months old), I can only assume that she is beginning to teethe. There is nothing yet coming out of those gums, not even a sign of anything erupting underneath. But she's been fussy - not like, "I have gas" or "I'm hungry/wet/dirty/bored" fussy. Rather, the, "I think I'm uncomfortable in a new way," kind of fussy.

So we're waiting, hoping that at some point these teeth will show themselves. And Lucy will get a reprieve!

(I could use a reprieve too...)

Visual updates to follow!

Trust Me...

2009-03-03T14:03:00.002-05:00

I was driving today, listening to some music and letting my mind wander. I feel that, often, it is during these times, where our minds are uninhibited and surrendered, that God speaks to us.

First, let me say this: we often forget the simple things. Those things that are basic, but make all the difference in how our lives function. Even something as simple as the perspective of, "this too shall pass," can make or break you on a daily basis.

To be honest, my thoughts today were on home-ownership. I desperately desire to own a house. I desire permanency. I desire to dream about making a house a home. I desire to trade in white, un-paintable rented walls for walls of every different color painted by me because they are MINE and I WANTED to. I desire to envision the structure that will house our family, to know where we will make memories and our children will find comfort, safety and joy.

To be more honest, I would love to own not just "a house," but my mom's house. This is the house I grew up in. It is the house that I fell asleep in every night until I went to college. It is the house I came home to during college when I transferred closer to home. It is the kitchen I learned to bake chocolate chip cookies in. It is the bathroom where I brushed my teeth every day. It is the yard where I played Capture The Flag after school. It is the picture window our Christmas tree was displayed in. It is the den where my friends and I enjoyed countless sleepovers and movie nights.

It is where my mind immediately goes when I think of, "home."

Funnily enough, it is on "Anderson Avenue." Isn't that so ironically fitting?

It might be a silly dream, and moreover, an unrealistic dream. But I desire it nonetheless. We are not in a place financially to own a home, and doesn't it seem that we never will be? Every home seems out of reach, but especially My Home, because I'm certain it's worth more than I can afford.

Even if we could afford it, my Mom may decide to never sell it. And that would be great, because it would still be "ours" and not in the hands of some stranger who had enough money to buy it but could never really appreciate it for what it truly is: Home.

Our Home.

But I desire it, nonetheless.

Today in the car, I found myself anxious over the idea that, if I am honest with myself, I am afraid to dream it, to desire it, to want it. I felt embarrassed that I even had the thought. Who am I kidding? It could never happen. I need to let it go. Dreaming about raising your family in that house will only lead to heartache, and no other home could ever measure up. And really, you'll never own a home. So get over it.

And then one thought slammed into my head, knocking all other thoughts away.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

"You can trust Me with your heart."

Suddenly, I am brought back to a simple basic truth: God created my heart, He bought my heart for a price, He knows my heart.

I know these things, but as we set our sights on other things, truth becomes hazy. My heart is God's, yes I know this. I committed my heart to the Lord, and I strive to walk with Him daily. But my heart - those deep and secret things: hopes, dreams, desires - they are His as well. He created those hopes, dreams and desires. There is nothing to be embarrassed about; no dream to big to dream, no hope to good to hope.

When did I stop delighting in Him?

Have you ever had that thought? I supposedly live my life as a "Christian" - a word, a title, that is so controversial and loaded now that I'm not sure I want to be associated with it. I know WHO I am and WHOSE I am, so the label is inconsequential. But am I really experiencing Christ and the amazing life He has created? Am I hungry for His Words, His Truth? Do I even think of Him regularly?

No. I don't. No I am not. I have been living my life. The way I want to. Isn't it easier that way? To just do what you want, how you want, when you want? It is easier, perhaps. But, Steph, be honest: Is it really living?

What a great moment to be brought to the feet of Christ. Ah, Christ. Yes, THIS is what I am living for. This is WHO I am living for. THIS is where life, hope and dreams are found. Stephanie, you are mine. I love you. Dream, Hope, Love. Delight in Me, find your joy in Me. You give your heart to so many things, and it pains me because they are short-lived. I have so much more for you.

Delight in Me...

Tears welled in my eyes and the music faded. And I was left with my thoughts. I may never buy my childhood home. I may never own any home. There are good and bad things to come in my life.

But I am His.

My review of Jardine Olympia Single Crib (aka DO NOT BUY ANYTHING MADE BY JARDINE ENTERPRISES)

2009-03-01T22:14:00.003-05:00

** I wrote this review on the Babies R Us website due to our horrible experience with our Jardine crib. I am sick that after all the recalls by Jardine, that ANY retailer continues to sell their products. How many kids need to be hurt (or worse) before true action is taken? I hope that by posting this on both of my blogs, anyone who might do an internet search on these cribs will find this review and be saved from spending money on completely unacceptable"craftsmanship" AND keep their child out of harms way. ~ Steph **

_________________________

Toys R Us

The Natural/Dark Pine Olympia Crib features a clean-cut contemporary style. This crib is known for its strong, high quality construction. The mattress support is adjustable to four positions to keep baby safely inside the crib. This piece coordinates with the Natural/Dark Pine Olympia Single ...

PLEASE DONT BUY THIS CRIB OR ANY JARDINE

Steph West Chester, PA 3/1/2009

Pros: Comfortable

Cons: Poor Construction, DANGEROUS TO CHILD, Difficult To Assemble

Best Uses: None

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS CRIB OR ANYTHING BY JARDINE. I bought this crib after pouring through tons of online reviews for cribs before my baby was born. After deciding this one had good reviews, we checked it out at a BRU store. We told our parents we were looking into getting this crib, and they surprised us by purchasing it for us as a gift. It was put together and looked pretty in the room. Our baby came, and started using the crib 2 weeks after birth. It worked fine, as the baby did not move and we did not utilize the drop sides. We became concerned after seeing JARDINE had recalled numerous cribs. The style (OLYMPIA) was recalled, but not our specific model number, so we thought we were safe. As our baby grew, we decided to start utilizing the drop side. First time after using the drop side, the plastic hardware snapped on both sides, which leaves a gap the baby could fall through. Since it has been more than 90 days, BRU cannot help us. Jardine Enterprises, thus far, cannot be reached. So we are left with a baby sleeping in her pack-n-play, a broken crib, and nothing to do but shell out money to buy another crib.

DO NOT BUY JARDINE. Although some of their other crib models are deemed "safe," I am slightly upset that ANY retailer is still selling Jardine products.

B-Bread

2009-02-25T17:37:00.003-05:00

My wife just created an historically delicious Banana-Clove Super Bread Delight.

Your first experience with the BCSBD is its aroma. You smell it all over the house as it bakes. While you sit in front of the TV, while you pick up Lucy from her nap, while you put on a pair of shoes in the bedroom, you smell it all along.

Then you sneak a peek in the oven to see how it's doing. It doesn't look to you like it needs another half hour to bake, but Steph would be cross if you took it out and ate it, steaming and half-raw, on the kitchen floor with your bare hands. So you just look.

Finally, it is brought forth from the 400*F bowels of the oven, and you slice off a crusty-on-the-outside piece of golden BCSBD. You know from experience that it would be a scalding and painful waste of patience and of B-bread to shove it in your mouth hot, so you calmly take a chilled block of cream cheese out of the fridge, and gently apply it to the surface of the bread.

You consume it in approximately one bite, cough, gag a little, and thump yourself on the chest. It was foolish to eat it whole like that. You'll have to slow down and savour the next slice. And the next, and the next...

Retro Nostalgia

2009-02-25T10:52:00.003-05:00

I bought batteries, so I am hoping to upload some photo and do Anderson Life updating this week.

I've been spending time focusing on the new blog, as it's been a good outlet for me. I especially enjoying sharing recipes and ideas - so perhaps that blog will turn into more of a recipe blog. We'll see. :)

Having a baby has some how made me more nostalgic. Maybe it's because I am brought back to my own childhood: remembering days of being young, staying at home with my mom and sisters, and everything being magical. There is a freedom and joy that comes with a life void of responsibilities and not yet tainted by the ugliness of the world we live in.

As I fondly look back on my childhood, I find a strange pleasure in hearing the theme song to a childhood television show or watching an old commercial. I am instantly brought back and can momentarily relive those moments in time.

(Side note: Isn't it funny how we long so much to grow up and be "big," yet once we are "big," we long so much to go back to a "more simple time?")

To indulge my nostalgic cravings, I found a website to explore/watch/laugh with.

RETRO JUNK

Check it out - see if it sparks any fun memories for you!

I'd love to hear some of the things you remember - especially those you thought you'd forgotten (like POPPLES and WUZZLES! Mr. Belvidere! The heart-wrenching 80's commericals that had plots to rival movies!)

Pictures and Anderson Updates to follow...

(I know, I've been promising this for a while - but I've been caught up this morning trying to upload all of the photos on my cell phone to Facebook. I fear losing them again like I did after I ran the first phone through the wash 2 weeks after Lucy was born. So many good photos were just GONE FOREVER! But I finished that just a few minutes ago, so I am able to move onto better things...)

Update coming this Weekend

2009-02-20T09:59:00.002-05:00

Sorry - our camera ran out of batteries, so I'd like to wait for visuals before I post an update. Hang in there!

In the meantime, I'm still posting on my other blog :)

ER: JOHN CARTER ALERT!

2009-02-20T09:53:00.002-05:00

OH MY GOSH.

I'm sorry that for many of you, this is a waste of a post. But for some of us (I think of Heather Beam, here), this is a HUGE DEAL. My heart stopped last night as I watched ER.

DR. JOHN CARTER IS BACK ON ER FOR 5 EPISODES.

And, from the looks of it, I'm wondering if his days are numbered?!?!?!

AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Mmmmm

2009-02-16T12:40:00.002-05:00

Please go to this website. It's amazing and it just made my day...

And now I'm hungry...

Happy Birthday, Aiden Jones!

2009-02-12T09:25:00.003-05:00

One year ago today, probably roughly around this time, the Anderson's received a text proclaiming the birth of Aiden Robert Jones! We've had the joy of watching him grow up this year, and watch as Rob and Jen grow into amazing parents. Aiden is super fun to be around, the life of the party, and a great friend to Lucy Elizabeth. He is also a pro at doorway jumping, a skill Lucy is hoping he will mentor her in.

We look forward to celebrating many birthdays in the years to come.

Love ya, Buddy!

In Sickness and in Health

2009-02-06T09:50:00.003-05:00

I am not a germophobe like SOME people in my family (I'm not naming names here, but his initials are Bill Anderson), but I think we can ALL agree that NO ONE wants the dreaded Stomach Bug.

It's going around strong all around us, and I'm really hoping we can be spared. Both Bill and I HATE throwing up (ok, who LIKES throwing up, but whatever), and now we have little Lucy to think about. The thought of her little body getting sick, her personality fading for a few days under the heavy burden of aches and pains, breaks my heart. The idea of Bill or I being the one to GIVE her the sickness is even worse! All the mom's who read this blog are probably chuckling to themselves, saying silently in their heads, "This girl has PLENTY of sick family times ahead of her, she better get ready!" I know this, but I can hope to put it off as long as possible. :)

It never occurred to me how Mom managed to take care of us when SHE was sick. I remember only a few days in my childhood when Dad took off work to stay home with us while Mom recooperated. Now that I am home with just ONE baby, I get nervous about being incapacitated by sickness, and not being able to attend to her as well as usual. When I fast-forward a few years, adding a few more kids into the mix, I am already overwhelmed by the thought of it! I think of 5 people in a house throwing up all at the same time. Oh goodness! That is such a miserable thought, but that is one of the things we take on when we become a family, right?

As awful as it sounds to me, I am simultaneously excited at the thought of more kids running around our house, and BEING a family. As with marriage, you vow to take on the good and the bad, in health AND in sickness!

So, to all of you out there, take your vitamins, sip your Echinachea tea, and wash your hands. I'll be sure to keep you updated on the health of the Anderson household!

Time Passes Fast - but God is SO Good...

2009-02-02T13:36:00.006-05:00

So, my last "real" post was just before Christmas - and now it's almost Valentine's Day! 2 months have passed!

Lucy is almost 6 months old. This boggles my mind. Before Christmas, she was smaller and less capable than she is now. It amazes me how much she grows EACH DAY. She is sitting up ("sitting up" means she can sit up if placed in the position, and has increasingly longer times before toppling over. She's up to the 1-2 minute mark, which is pretty good). She rolls over and over and over, reaches for things she wants, eats solid foods (and therefore HAS solid POOPS).

The great thing about having a baby (or children of any age) is that I get to see the world with new eyes all over again. There is magic back in Christmas, there is wonder in a snowflake, joy in a new noise. I look forward to the next few years when I can have childlike innocence and wonder all over again, vicariously, through Lucy.

In other news, we are settled into our snug little rented townhome, and it really does FEEL like home. Finally!

In OTHER other news, BILL GOT A NEW JOB! Not only a NEW job, but his DREAM job - at Henderson High School (our alma mater) teaching 9th grade English. God is SO good. We really set to committing our jobs, our lives and our futures into His hands. That can be a scary thing at times - it means taking control of EVERYTHING out of our hands, and placing it rightly into the hands of the God who created us and has a plan for our lives. Seeing it in typing, that makes sense - of COURSE life would be best lived when left in the hands of the One who created it - but it's a lot harder lived out in faith!

I digress. It's an answered prayer for us, to say the least. It means Bill will be home more, it opens up the opportunity for me to get out more, for us to spend time together as a family. It means that we have seen God provide for us, and we cannot take that for granted - not for one day!

So, Bill starts Monday. Lucy is growing more and more. And I am pretty much loving being a Stay-At-Home mom. There is talk of me potentially getting a part time job - nights and/or weekends. But nothing big - it means time for me out of the house and time that Bill can spend with Lucy all by himself! We'll see what happens!

Now that I've semi-caught you up...here are some photos!

Lucy eating "solids" for the first time (rice cereal, which isn't really solid at all) - 4 months old

Lucy is a pro at eating now at 6 months (just don't give her sweet peas - YUCK!)

Lucy at Christmas - 4 1/2 months

Lucy Rallying for a Snow Day with her PJ's inside out - 5 months

Don't give up on us - we'll post some more updates soon (let's rally for Bill to come on and share about his new job! Hear, Hear!)

New Blog?!

2009-01-26T10:07:00.002-05:00

Eh, ok. So I haven't been terribly good at keeping up with THIS blog. But I have another blog in the works - one that is more geared toward passing along information and gathering information - less of "Anderson Updates." So, we'll see if I can handle both?!?

www.moderndaydonnareed.blogspot.com

Pictures of the past 2 months soon to follow. Thanks, Gwyneth, for being my committed BlogFan!

It's Coming...

2009-01-25T09:12:00.002-05:00

I am a hypocrite, as I tend to get frustrated when my normal blogs haven't updated. And here I am, well over a month since my last post.

I have a good reason - I lost the cord that connects my camera to the computer.

But I (well, Bill) found it, so I can update with lots of pics. I think I have to go all the way back to the holidays. Arg!

So, updates coming soon!

!!!!

2008-12-04T22:08:00.002-05:00

I have looked over a few of my blogs, emails and other various writings...

And I have come to a conclusion...

I use exclamation points (!) WAY too much...

Roly Poly...

2008-12-04T14:33:00.002-05:00

Time flies so fast when you have a baby! I felt like just yesterday Lucy was a little squiggle worm, not able to do much but eat, sleep (HA!) and poop. Oh and pee. And CRY. She was good at that! Now, she is such a little...person. She laughs, notices, watches, responds. Our newest excitement is that she is rolling. Well, sort of. Previously, Tummy Time was a form of torture for Lucy. She now enjoys it, and (if I put her arm in the correct position) she has learned to throw her weight and roll over! Sure, I helped a little - but I'm trying to let her do it on her own! When she's on her back, she has learned to throw her legs straight up and get onto her side, then she rolls back, unable to get to her tummy. She is easily frustrated, and let's me know that SHE CAN'T DO IT! Hopefully, in time, she'll figure it out completely, and will just enjoy it!

Now I have to watch her every move!

In other news, we are in NO way ready for Christmas! I have barely gotten to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, let alone the awful worldliness of decorating my house (inside and out), and work on gifts.

Bill and I are trying to rethink our thoughts on gift giving at Christmas - hoping to give more meaningful and alternative gifts (ones we make should be especially exciting!). It is difficult to do it 100%, mostly for fear that people will think we are cheap - but again, that's not the point of Christmas! Check out www.adventconspiracy.org. It's awesome.

Any thoughts on homemade/creative gifts?

Pop 5

2008-11-26T09:30:00.003-05:00

Just so you all know...

This game:

Is awesome.

So go out and buy it.

PS...

2008-11-26T09:29:00.001-05:00

PS - Lucy slept all night last night. She got to bed a little late, because we were out, but she was OUT until I got her at 7:15am!

Time Travels

2008-11-26T09:20:00.002-05:00

People tell me often to not "wish this time away" with Lucy - to enjoy every moment, here and now, because it will go by so fast. And believe me, it already has. I can't believe she is a little person now, who can smile and laugh and touch my face and play with a toy. She can hold her head up strong and sit in her bumbo. I know it's only a matter of time before she is rolling over and crawling and eating big person food. I want to be sure to eat up every precious morsel of this season of Lucy.

That being said, I can't help but get excited about the future. Especially it being the Holidays, I can't wait to have little ones who get excited for Santa and lights on houses. I want to see the thrill in our children's eyes when they see the snow falling and they get bundled up so they can go sledding and build snowmen. How fun will it be to search for Easter eggs and get chocolate in baskets? I anxiously anticipate starting fun family traditions that we all get giddy about.

I also long for the simple things that I know I will treasure in my heart. Saturday mornings with little barefoot tootsies tiptoe-ing in our room and climbing into bed and snuggling up close. Evenings of our whole family piled on the couch watching a funny movie. Summer evening after-dinner walks or bike rides. A little voice whispering, "I love you, Mommy" as they drift off for a nap.

I love where God has us now, and 4-month old Lucy is more than enough. The greatest gift is that Ican enjoy right now, knowing that there is such much more to look forward to...

Sleepless Lucy

2008-11-25T09:35:00.003-05:00

I am drinking a big Cuppa Joe as I write this. Although it does not remotely compare to our first 2 weeks with Lucy, I got a little run for my (sleep) money last night!

I've been semi-prepared for this. Almost all of my friends who have babies started having some sleep difficulties around 4 months. Lucy has been a pretty good sleeper (minus the first 4 weeks), and last night she woke up around 2am. That's it. She just woke up! She wasn't hungry or terribly fussy. So I changed her diaper (because, let's face it, who wouldn't want a fresh diaper?!?) and held her for a bit. Every time I put her back down, she'd be fussing again after about 10 minutes, so I ended up sleeping on the futon in the room, just so I didn't have to stumble blindly in the night down the hall.

I used to fear nights during Lucy's first few weeks. The thought that this little alien-like being would scream every few hours for reasons unknown to me (or anyone) frightened the daylights out of me. At the time, I didn't know ANYTHING. Nothing about babies. When she cried, I felt helpless. I couldn't feed her enough, diaper her enough, rock her enough.

Now, I know Lucy a bit better.

I know how she likes to be held, and what (some of) her cries mean. Last night, I knew she wasn't in pain. She wasn't hungry. Her diaper wasn't terrible. I'm not sure what she needed, really. But, I knew she'd give me the grace to figure it out, and sometimes me just being there is enough. (**note - I'm wondering if she's in the beginning stages of teething. It's still early, but I know it can take a few weeks - so I'll be on the lookout. I'll keep the blog updated of any signs of pearly whites**)

I think it's also good that I now know, this is a season, and it will eventually pass. In the beginning, I remember thinking she would be a screaming crying wiggle for her entire life, and I would not have a normal (sleep) life again for 18 years!

But it got better. And, she may go through a phase of troubled sleep. But I know it will get better. And sometimes, even when I, in an act of frustration, may throw my comforter aside to stumble into her room at 2am, I secretly enjoy (just a little smidge) getting to see her for a little bit.

Who knows, tonight she might sleep fine. I guess we'll see.

So, although, in a perfect world, Lucy would sleep from 7pm-7am for the rest of her life as child - I find more confidence daily to tend to her needs.

Here's some cute pics to tide you over (and to give me a chance to grab another cuppa coffee!)

Frozen Turkey

2008-11-21T08:23:00.005-05:00

Ok, so we haven't even hit Thanksgiving yet, but it's a Winter Wonderland outside my front door! This morning, I woke up a little earlier than usual, because poor Bill's alarm did not go off, and he was frantically trying to get ready for school. I looked out my window and saw this:

WHAAAAAATTTT???

I told Bill he atleast now has an excuse for being late! And late he was - it took him sooooo long to get to work this morning because all the roads were covered in snow (WHAAAAAT?) and people start to forget how to drive in the white stuff. So there were all sorts of accidents on his route to school. C'mon people! It's been less than a year since our last snow!

I took the opportunity to be a negligent parent for the sake of photography, and took Lucy outside for a (QUICK) photo shoot (I'm talking like 90 seconds). We want to document Lucy's First Snow!

You can tell she is QUITE impressed. One day she'll be dying for snow and loving every second we let her play in it!

There are more photos on facebook and Snapfish - but they were turned the wrong way and blogger doesn't let me rotate them!

So, stay warm! And enjoy the view!!

Lucy's First Halloween and YL Trip...

2008-11-16T11:14:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been an exciting few weeks in the Anderson Household. We moved back to West Chester.We have a new President Elect. A Philadelphia sports team managed to NOT let us down (GO PHILS!). And, Lucy went Trick-or-Treating for the first time!

This is what Aunt Jessica opened the door to on Halloween afternoon (Gigi came a few minutes later and missed the whole thing, but still thought it was cute). Later that evening, Aunt Hilly and Granddad got to witness the same cuteness!

Poor Bill missed the whole thing because he was faithfully finishing our move out of our old place in Phoenixville - he made 3 trips that night. The tensions were high - but we are officially finished moving! UG!

A few weekends ago, we also got the opportunity to play music for Club at Lake Champion. Jess came to babysit Lucy while Bill and I (along with our awesome band of Matt, Christian and Bowman!) played music for Fall Weekend. It was a blast. We are so grateful that Lucy could experience Young Life even at an early age. She got to witness kids lives being changed.

We Barack'd the Vote

2008-11-16T11:09:00.004-05:00

So, we have a new president. It seems like yesterday GWB was elected into office, and now we have made history with our first African-American president. Not only is it exciting, but we can tell Lucy what historical feats transpired during her first year in this world (the other being the Phillies winning the World Series. WOOOOOOOOT!)

Athough it's a week late, here is a snapshot of how our night went during the presidential election almost 2 weeks ago.

Lucy felt the tension, and went a little crazy with the beer to calm her nerves...

Liz was sorely disappointed in her...

Overall, the Anderson's trust that God has His hand over this country and the President who leads it. So, be praying for President Obama, and his administration over the next 4 years!

When...?

2008-11-16T10:47:00.007-05:00

Lucy is 14 weeks old, as of this past Thursday. 14 weeks. 14 weeks ago, I was having a baby and bringing her home. 14 weeks ago, Bill and I were beside ourselves, amazed how much knowledge we lacked in raising a baby, and yet she was put in our care anyway. 14 weeks ago, I cried pretty much whenever Lucy cried. 14 weeks ago, I didn't know if she was hungry, tired, wet, soiled, bored, hurting or sick. 14 weeks ago, I was averaging 3 hours of sleep. Per day. 14 weeks ago, I wasn't sure I liked this whole "parenthood" deal. 14 weeks ago, I couldn't help but think back on and long for my life before Lucy.

But that was 14 weeks ago.

Now, I've had a baby in my home for 14 weeks. Now, I have a little more knowledge under my belt (thanks to so many people who fielded urgent emails, phone calls and facebook messages!). Now, I know if Lucy is crying because she is tired or hungry or wet or soiled or bored or hurting or sick - they are all distinct! Now, I sometimes laugh when Lucy cries because it's kinda cute. And, yes, sometimes she is faking it. Which makes it even cuter. Now, I am averaging 6-8 hours of sleep every night. Well, most nights. And, yes, I know that will change - she will teethe or get sick - but I have more courage now when the time comes. Now, I enjoy being a parent. What did I do before I was a parent, anyway?

Now, I can't imagine my life without her :)

She's grown so much in 14 weeks. Bill and I marvel how she learns something new every day. I look back over the last 14 weeks, and find myself so often saying to Bill, "When...":

"When did she start falling asleep on her own? "

"When did she start sleeping for longer stretches (eventually all night?)"

"When did she get so big?"

"When did she discover her tongue?"

"When did she start playing with toys?"

"When did feeding her become easy??"

It's crazy to me. In the beginning, I despaired that there would never be a time that I would sleep again, go out in public again. I wondered if it would ever be easy to feed her, instead of struggling with her moving head, shirts, burpcloths and other various and sundry items. I hoped that she would one day not be so fragile and skinny, fitting into baby clothes instead of swimming in them. I longed to see her smile, to watch her play with a rattle.

And then, one day, POOF! There it was.

When...?

I owe...

2008-10-22T10:52:00.000-04:00

I owe...

A huge post...

So much has happened in the past 3 months...

And there is not enough time or mental capacity to put words together...

But, Lucy is napping longer, so hopefully soon enough!

The Best

2008-09-29T10:32:00.003-04:00

So, up until recently, Lucy didn't nap. In that, she didn't really know how to fall asleep on her own. And me being a new Mom didn't know that she should probably go down for a nap after she's been up for about 2 hours. So she was a really cranky fuss for a few weeks until we figured this all out. Poor girl was so tired!

Her napping isn't perfect, but she's starting to get the hang of it. She's been napping more and more each day, and going down easier and easier. We're still working on the nights - she sleeps pretty well at night, but is still getting up once or twice to feed. I'm hoping soon enough she'll go longer stretches!

Today, though, was the best. She had been napping for about an hour and I heard her stirring. So I went in, figuring she still wanted to nap (which she did), but wanted her pacifier. She wasn't crying yet (she goes from happy to freak-out in no time flat) so I was pleased. When I looked down into her crib, she looked up at me and gave me one of her cute smiles. It was like she knew it was me, her Momma, and that I would make it all better.

That's the Best :)

Cutie Lucy Goosey

2008-09-16T14:40:00.006-04:00

Here is what you've all been waiting for! Drumroll, pleaaaaaaaasse:

Lucy was a tiny bug when she was born!

During her first week, she had sponge baths until her umbilical cord fell off. You can tell she REALLY enjoyed herself

Even at a young age, she is a Daddy's Girl

First walk in her front carrier

Awake and alert at almost 5 weeks - she also went to her first wedding this weekend (Sara and Austin's!)

Our 6-week old Lucy Goose!

Then Came Lucy

2008-09-16T13:38:00.004-04:00

So, it has been 6 weeks since Lucy arrived! She'll be 6 weeks old this Thursday. I remember thinking "Wow - 6 weeks is so far away! She'll be so big by then." And now it is here, and she is so big (to us, anyway) - with chubby cheeks and rolls on her legs. I love it!

The last 6 weeks have changed my life. Or, perhaps a better way to say it might be: for the past 6 weeks, I've been living a CHANGED life. I've changed. Bill's changed. Our marriage has changed. We are changed because Lucy has entered our lives. It's amazing how a baby changes your life - and all for the good. You realize how self-centered you are. Not in a bad, "I'm the center of the universe so bow down and worship me" kind of self-centered. But, rather, up until now I've only had to worry and take care of ME. I was completely self-centered before I was married. I could do what I want, wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted, however I wanted to! I could decide to eat out for dinner one night or go to Philly until 2:00am with friends. I could take a nap after work or call in sick if I didn't feel good (or...as we all know when I worked at the County...whenever I didn't feel like dealing with work).

When I got married, God chiseled away at that self-centeredness. Now I had someone to answer to. I had to check with Bill before I did stuff and made decisions. But, we were still independent. We could, together, sleep in until 10am on a Saturday. We could decide to go away for the weekend. We could have friends over until late at night or eat out 5 nights a week.

Then came Lucy. Suddenly, there is a little being who is completely dependent on us, particularly on me. She needs to be fed every 2 or 3 hours, if not more. And that food is not on the McDonald's Value Menu. It is on ME. So I have to be on-call at all times. She needs to sleep. And, as I found out, she doesn't know HOW to sleep, so I have to teach her. Often, that means enduring crying and fussiness when I least expect it. It means I am home when she sleeps, because she cannot be here alone. Lucy needs many other things, including clean diapers, entertainment, cuddling, and most of all LOVE.

I have learned the most these past few weeks about LOVE. We think we understand LOVE. I LOVE my family, and they have always LOVED me. I fell in LOVE with Bill, and we continue to grow in that LOVE and learn how to LOVE better every day. I know that God LOVES His people, but I didn't understand what God's sacrificial LOVE truly meant.

Then came Lucy. I realize now that when you create something, something that is apart of you, it comes with a LOVE all it's own. You are given a great responsibility to take care of this baby, and therefore, you begin to sacrifice things you didn't even know could be sacrificed: sleeping, eating, showering, going out with friends, eating dinner at a restaurant with your husband, staying up late, sleeping in, having a fit body, comfort, time to yourself.

And you don't mind. You want to. Because you love this little soul. Sure, some days it is easier than others. Some days you want to turn your ears off when the crying is incessant. Some days you want to cry after being pooped/spit up/drooled on for the 30th time. Some days you just want to sleep when you want to and eat when you want to. Some days you just want to go and hang out with your friends without having to worry about a baby. Some days you get scared that your life will never be the same.

And it won't. After getting through the really rough few first weeks (not that things are a piece of cake now, by any means!), I can truly say that my life will never be the same. It will be better. It already is.

So, thank You, God for all that you have been teaching me. Thank you that you have not allowed me to figure this out on my own, but you have (and continue to) carry me through.

And thank You, most of all, for Lucy.

Funny Stuff

2008-09-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

I absolutely owe a post (or several) and some photos to chronicle the last 6 weeks of our lives. Atleast this time, I have a good reason for being remiss in posting - Lucy keeps me quite busy! I have pictures to put up and some stories and feelings to share - give me a day or two.

In the meantime, please watch this awesome clip - because it is HILARIOUS. Yay for showing politics for what they really are!

Posting more exciting Baby Posts soon...

You Are Awesome

2008-08-09T08:58:00.002-04:00

It just needs to be said that Bill was an amazing husband through the entire birth process (well, he still is - Bill didn't lose any of his amazingness over the past few days, don't worry). He was with me for every contraction, encouraging me to breathe (and laughed a little when I made funny noises). He held me through my Epidural. He counted for every push. He fed me ice chips. He has carefully helped my aching body out of bed and has partaken in some gross bodily stuff that no guy should have to endure.

In all seriousness, thank you, Sweetheart.

I am a lucky girl. :)

I Love Lucy!

2008-08-09T08:45:00.003-04:00

So, Bill and I are pretty stinkin' blessed to have one of the most beautiful creations God ever made. Lucy is perfect and beautiful and a joy. It's crazy to me how you can all of a sudden love this little being who, apart from kicks in your abdomen, is a complete stranger to you. There is a sense of responsibility from the start to love her, protect her and provide for her. I wasn't sure how I'd feel once Lucy came - would I automatically love her? How would I feel about being her mother?

The answers are YES and FREAKING AWESOME!!!

My family has posted copious amounts of pictures on Facebook (which I can't access here at the hospital, but have seen thumbnails of on my phone) - but here are a few more!

Lucy Elizabeth Anderson
08/07/08
6.5lbs, 20 1/2 inches

The Pain and the Great One...

2008-08-07T20:29:00.004-04:00

Right now, Steph and I both feel like we did after our first night at the Beacon Motel (see post.) So I might not get the chronology right, but I'll begin describing events that transpired forty eight hours ago, albiet through the mental gauze of sleep deprivation.

Tuesday night, Steph woke me up in the one o'clock hour with contractions unlike anything she'd felt so far. They were frequent, painful, and long. Luckily we (read: Steph) have read shelves and shelves of books about pregnancy and watched what likely amounts to years worth of A Baby Story footage on TLC. We therefore knew to time the contractions, and to call our doctor if they fit certain criteria.

Eventually, we timed enough painful contractions to feel confident in calling, at around two AM, our doctor, who said, "Shmeshmeshme hebbedy shme better go to the hospital shme sleepytimeyumyum."

So we did. We calmly packed our bags, brushed our teeth, and loaded our beast, Jake, into the car and headed to town for some good old fashioned birthin'.

Or so we thought.

The nurses kindly put us into a holding cell with a very high bed and no windows. I played about a thousand games of Sudoku, and Steph had various contractions. This lasted from three AM until 10 AM, when the nurses remembered that they had put us into that windowless purgatory, and kindly told us we could go home, because Steph's contractions had all but stopped.

Tired, sort of greasy, and sort of mad, we went home and slept. I slept from eleven AM to four PM, during which time Steph continued to have painful contractions at a somewhat slower rate.

**I am too disoriented and tired to make sentences good. Steph will continue below**

So, as Bill got to nap for several hours (lucky), I attempted to nap, but could not through the few contractions while sleeping. By 4:00pm, when Bill woke up, my contractions were becoming more regular again - about 5-10 minutes apart. Since we had been sent home earlier in the day (which made me weary and tired and I left crying and feeling like a failure - but it's okay because I'm over it now), we were hesitant to call the doctor. One of our many resource books said that in early labor, one should go about their normal routine. So, we made plans to go to Rino's and meet up with my family. During that time, my contractions go worse and closer together, but we still went. While there, we decided to stay in West Chester for the night, JUST IN CASE.

I'm glad we did. We tried to go to sleep around 10:30pm. Let me rephrase. Bill DID fall asleep around 10:30pm. I worked through contractions (painful ones) until about midnight, when I said to Bill that I couldn't take them anymore. They were still mostly 3-5 minutes apart, and I was still scared to call the doctor in case she said I wasn't yet ready for the hospital. After seeing the pain I was in, Bill informed me we WERE CALLING THE DOCTOR. The doctor told us to go to the hospital again.

The second time around, we were pleased to hear that I was 3-4 centimeters, and could finally be admitted! YAY!

Contractions worsened over the course of a few hours, and I was finally given the greenlight for an Epidural. Epidurals are amazing. They are God's gift to hurting, contracting women. After not sleeping for 48 hours, I was finally able to shut my eyes and get a tiny nap before things got crazy.

Around 9:30 they checked me, and I was 9 centimeters! I had gone from 6cm to 9cm in an hour. WHOA! So they started getting the room ready - machines and contraptions and scrubs and other fun things. It was all surreal. About a half an hour later, I was at 10cm, and we started to PUSH!

This part was much less dramatic than movies make it seem. I'm sure if I weren't numb, it would be a different story. But, in the same way the show ER is so much more riviting and chaotic than your average Emergency Room at the local hospital, so was pushing this baby out. It took a full 2 hours. We'd push for 3 counts of 10 with each contraction (sometimes it was me, Bill, the doctor and the nurse. Sometimes just Bill and I). Then we'd stop and do nothing for another minute or two between contractions. It was hard to tell if I was making progress - since I couldn't feel anything. Bill assured me that every time she got a little closer. As we neared noon, they said they could see the head (which had hair!), and then BAM! Her head was out, Bill's eyes were wide, and I could feel some uncomfortable pressure (majorly). Seconds later, she was out. I could feel the pressure leaving my body - which was totally crazy. Bill and I were beside ourselves! We had a baby!

We didn't get to hold her at first, as there had been some meconium, which they needed the NICU people to assess (she was fine). So, Bill got to go over to be with her, while I lay in the bed expelling placentas and got stitched up. I think Bill got the better end of the deal! We were assured she was fine, she had a strong Apgar Score, and was crying nicely.

Time passed quickly, and I finally got to hold my little girl. She was gorgeous! Her eyes were open and alert as she took everything in. Bill and I got to be with her for a while before then flood of family came gushing in (they were pretty darn excited and eager to meet their granddaughter/great-granddaughter/niece). I still look back on the day like it was a dream - I can't believe I DID that!

So, here we are. Parents. This should be quite an adventure...

Waiting

2008-07-25T09:07:00.002-04:00

Yup, that's pretty much what's going on right now. I'm waiting. For. The. Baby.

The idea that she could come RIGHT NOW (or...right NOW!...or.....................NOW!) brings with it a simultaneous excitement ("Yay! She's finally coming!") and great intrepdiation/fear/holy crap ("But I have to do WHAT to GET her here?????????"). Then comes along the life change and being a mom (a stay-at-home mom, now as it turns out), which is change. And change can be hard - but a good hard.

So. We wait. And we'll keep you updated.

...or NOW!

Queen of the Nest

2008-07-16T12:26:00.004-04:00

I'm not the neatest person in the world.

I mean, YEAH, I'm "neat" as in "Wow, Steph is a pretty interesting individual." No doubt. But I'm not as "neat" (as in "clean and tidy") as I'd like to be. Growing up, my mom would blame my sisters and I for how dirty or untidy the state of the house usually was, since she worked full time and we were home more often. Dishes in the sink instead of the dishwasher. Cups or plates left in the TV room. Cluttered counters. Messy rooms.

There was something especially difficult about taking clean (and unfolded) clothes from the laundry basket and putting them into dresser drawers. That is assuming that the basket was fortunate enough to make the journey from the laundry room to my bedroom. Heck, that is if the laundry was lucky enough to make it out of the washer before it became mildew-y.

Oh man. Mildew-y clothes are the WORST. Usually they become mildew-y when you decide to do a load of laundry before you go out and do something. The laundry then becomes just a faded memory, until days later, after the laundry has had significant time to fester in a dark, moist environment, a nagging voice begins harping in the back of your mind. "Where is my black shirt from the Gap? I swear it was in my room. Didn't I just wash..." And before the thought can complete itself, there is a sinking in your stomach as the faded memory becomes vibrant. YES. You DID do laundry a few days ago. And it's still sitting in the washer. Moist. And most likely rank.

So you fly down the several flights of stairs to the laundry room, as the seemingly innocent washer lounges, daring you to open it's door. You approach, slowly. You wonder in your mind, "Is there any other way to get around this?" You realize there is not. So, you muster up all the courage you have, reach out your hand, clench your eyes shut, grasp the door, and fling it open.

The smell overwhelms you. Had you opened your eyes, you might have visibly seen the Stink fly out of the washer and up into your nostrils. You choke, gag, and consider aborting the mission. But there is one thing that keeps your head in the game:

Your black shirt from the Gap.

So you re-detergent the load of laundry, and re-start the washer. This time, you sit in the laundry room until the load is finished an hour later. The washer stops it's last cycle, you open the door, and take a whiff. The scent is acceptable. The clothes are ready for the dryer, so you transfer them. You are relieved, but scarred. And yet, there is still no guarantee that this will not happen again.

I digress.

As I moved out of my mom's house and began living on my own, my mom told me numerous times that I would never be able to maintain a clean house. I was doomed to a life of Clutter and Mess. She had high hopes for me. I think, after several years of living on my own, I have come to a place of being able to maintain a mostly-average state of cleanliness. Bill's tolerance of "dirty" is much higher then mine, though, so I usually give into cleaning much faster than Bill does. Overall, though, Bill and I are usually pretty content of the state of our home.

Until recently.

In the past 2 weeks, I have found my mostly-tidy, average state of living was no longer acceptable anymore. Not that it was bad. But I suddenly was aware of slight areas of condensed clutter around the house. A few books here, a few boxes there. Why don't these things have a place? Why can't they be put away in a proper place? That bookcase needs to be dusted. These clothes MUST be put away. These things irked me more and more. Soon, the needs became urgent. I found myself, 36+ weeks pregnant scrubbing, folding, carrying and throwing things away with an energy and fervor that I had not had since becoming pregnant. I cleaned and organized closets. I scrubbed the sinks in the bathroom. I put every article of clothing we own into a proper place.

I began assessing our material possessions. Do we REALLY need these things? I filled 3 boxes of books, clothing and random 'stuff' that will be donated to Good Will.

Bill stopped me one day with a "knowing look" and said,

"Sweetie, you're nesting!"

I looked at him like he had 3-heads. "I'm what?"

"Nesting. They said this would happen at the end of your pregnancy."

Who is 'They?'

So I looked it up. And sure enough, as labor approaches, women get this primal urge to get the "nest" ready for the upcoming new addition. Isn't that so strange? The urge came on suddenly one day. I just wanted the house to be in good condition. I didn't want to rush to the hospital, only to come home to a dirty house. I want everything to be clean and acceptable for Lucy.

So, here I am, Nesting it Up. At almost 38 weeks, I am going strong - scrubbing, cleaning, washing, drying, folding, vacuuming, dusting, and arranging. Over and over again. I am hoping it lasts, and I become a Changed (read: Neat and Tidy) Steph. A woman who has every motivation to keep a spotless and tidy home.

We'll see...

But, I AM proud to say, that NO CLOTHES have been left to cluthes of Mildew.

...so far...

Day 4 - Heading Home

2008-07-02T23:47:00.003-04:00

We woke up after a long night of questionable noises and smells, grabbed breakfast with Tom and Alex one last time in Lewes, packed our bags and headed home. I will leave you with one last beautiful picture:

:)

Day 3, a Day Late

2008-07-02T23:25:00.003-04:00

If you read the post below, you can guess what the highlights of Day 3 were. Most of them were Bill's, but my highlights always coincide, because there is nothing better than seeing Bill so excited and happy. Not only did he meet Sam C from Dogfish Head Brewery, but he got to experience it with 2 of his bestest friends. And me. :)

To keep with the promise of posting about our vacation, I still wanted to post about our day in some fashion.

Bill and I woke up on Day 3 after an amazing night's sleep. No clanking. No overheating. No funky smells. We woke ourselves up at our leisure. It rocked!

We ambled a block down from the Beacon to a placed called The Lighthouse Restaurant - an establishment that I had eaten at numerous times in my youth. There is really nothing special about it. I just knew it was one of the 2 or 3 places in Lewes that served breakfast, and I was trying to shake things up. I also knew I didn't want to go too far, since we had gotten word that Alex and Tom were heading down, hopefully arriving around 12:30pm or 1:00pm.

To kill some time before their arrival, we walked around town a bit and spent some time at the pool. I think some of our best time was spent just lounging at this sparsely populated, completely sunny pool! We goofed around and competed to see who could swim to the other side of the pool first. Stupid stuff like that. But it was fun.

After we cleaned ourselves up, Tom and Alex arrived. We had a few hours to kill before the Dogfish Head tour started, so we headed to Route 1 for lunch. Tom and Alex weren't terribly hungry, but Bill and I had not eaten lunch. So, after checking out our options, the vote was 3-to-1 to go to a place called "Crabby Dicks." Can you guess who was outvoted?

I am sure that you can't begin to come up with all of the sexual innuendo's that populated the walls, menu and merchandise at this eatery. And, I won't begin to share them with you. Because I am a lady. And because they were stupid.

The service there was sub-par, but really, what did we expect at a place entitled "Crabby Dicks" anyway?

After our "meal," we headed to Milton to catch our Brewery Tour. Bill and I have toured before, but it's a fun time, and Alex and Tom had never been there. I think the biggest draw is NOT the informative tour of the mechanics of brewing, but all of the free sampling that goes on afterwards. This was not as big of a draw for me, since I was pregnant. The guys enjoyed it, as I so perfectly captured in the pictures below:

Alex's enthusiasm was short-lived (as usual). Here, you can catch the extent of his excitement:

The rest of our night was perfectly written up by my wordsmith of a husband. I will say, though, even as Bill joked about his excitement of running into Sam Calagione, it was pretty stinking cool. The guy was really cool. And, Sam really DID buy the guys a sampler of beer at the brew pub, which was even cooler. I didn't want the guy to get to creeped out, so I encouraged the guys to play it cool from there on out. So they did, and Sam stopped and said goodbye before he and his cute little girl left.

I will also say that Bill and Tom really DID leave me behind in the hotel room with Alex while they went and enjoyed (more) margarita's at Agave. I spent an hour and a half at Alex's mercy as he did "important things" on my computer and (simultaneously? Is that possible?) watched the Phillies game. Oh well.

Tom and Alex crashed in the hotel room with us that night, since we had an extra bed. Alex was not keen on this, but when is Alex keen on anything? Bill was kind when he said they made noises similiar to those of our air-conditioner in room #1 night #1 as we tried to sleep. What Bill didn't say: that Alex and Tom fought over the little double bed they were sleeping in. Alex complained about the temperature in the room. Both of them made some of the nastiest noises I had ever heard expelled by rear-ends (noises I didn't know were possible). These noises didn't improve the smell of our room either.

So, I leave you with the end of Day 3...

Summer of Sam

2008-07-02T22:44:00.004-04:00

I saw a frigg'n celebrity yesterday.

Your mind is running wild; who could Bill and Steph have seen? Madonna? Michael Jackson? Britney? WHO?!

Don't try guessing. I'm willing to guarantee that you've never heard of him before.

You might ask yourself, "Self, if I've never heard of this person, how could he be considered a celebrity?"

Let me answer your question with another question: Is the guy who discovered electricity a celebrity, just because no one has heard of him? How about the guy who invented the light bulb? Their names might be lost to obscurity and antiquity, but their legacies survive in their contributions to our society.

So the celebrity I met is named Sam. Sam Calagione. Though I've spelled his name correctly here, you'll never hear me utter it aloud because it's utterly inpronouncable. Your guess is as good as mine. But Sam is just as important as the pioneers of electric light aforementioned because Sam is the founder of Dogfish Head brewery, brewers and purveyors of the world's most hoppy and delicious beers.

Let me set the stage:

Steph and I, as well as two of our good friends Tom and Alex, had just finished a tour of the Dogfish Head brewery in Milton, Deleware. If you're planning a vacation to southern Deleware, know that there is only one cool thing there, and it's the Dogfish Head brewery. There are also produce stands.

We were playing Bocce outside of the brewery on one of the company's two regulation sized Bocce courts, and when I say that we were playing Bocce, I mean we were most feloniously misusing a set of Bocce equipment, and most atrociously damaging an otherwise pristine and level playing field.

After a particularly loud *THUD* of the sort that I'm sure one never hears during dignified Bocce gameplay, we were greeted with a hearty salutation:

"Hey folks, how was the tour?"

I turned around to see the guy who started brewing Dogfish Head beer in his kitchen stride past.

"Uh. Delicious."

"Ha, aright. Have a good one, fellas."

At this point, my mind began to whir. Don't think I'm some kind of Sam Calagione-stalking freak, but I've certainly looked up to his creativity, and I've absolutely enjoyed the beer he makes. I needed to say something cooler. Something to extend the conversation.

"Thanks for the beer, Sam," (there was free beer distributed after the tour) "shame I don't have anything to have you sign."

You've probably gathered that Sam isn't the caliber of celebrity that most people would want an autograph from. I could have come up with a far better conversation extender if I hadn't had all that free beer earlier.

"Uh. Well, let me see if I have something in the car."

Sam drives a Honda Element.

Steph, being coincidentally with child and (fortunately) without beer had the presence of mind to hand me the camera. Those that cared would never have believed that I met Sam Calagione if the only proof I could produce was a menu with, "Cheers! Sam Cala...." scrawled on the top. Thanks to my beautiful and entirely clearheaded wife, I have this:

But the story doesn't end there. We sallied forth to the Dogfish Head brewpub in nearby Rehoboth Beach where, moments after we were seated, Sam appeared with his daughter in tow. He was seated at the table directly adjacent to ours.

He was probably getting a little creeped out.

But while we were pretending not to notice him, he noticed us again.

"Hey again! Don't tell my wife; I brought my mistress!" He said, pointing at his kid.

We laughed politely, then tried to pretend like we didn't think it was the coolest thing in the world.

I could go on and on, and tell you about how Sam bought our table a beer sampler, and how we bought Sam another pint of his famous 90 Minute IPA, or how he invited us to come play video games at his house and become personal friends on a first name basis. He taught us ninja moves and we told ghost stories until it was time to go home. But the internet is only so big, and I don't want to bore you further.

I'm going to shift gears here, so if I'm starting to lose you, reader, just quit now. Turn off that computer. Go ahead. Spend some time outside, enjoy life. Read a book.

The four of us (minus our celebrity acquaintance) went back to the Beacon Motel (see previous posts.) Alex made himself at home, making use of Steph's computer and hogging the remote control. Tom and I went to get margaritas at a restaurant called Agave, which is officially the only establishment in Lewes, DE that is open past 8 pm. When we got back to the motel, Alex was asleep. Tom fell asleep in the bed with Alex, where he proceeded to make noises very similar to the ones our Air Conditioner made on night #1, in room #1.

And so our trip ended very similarly to how it began; I spent the night sleeplessly resenting the otherworldly noises of malfunctioning ductwork.

Redemption Day - Day 2 Con't

2008-06-30T21:04:00.005-04:00

Hopefully from the title of this post, you can see that there has been a drastic improvement in our circumstances.

After Bill washed the Caveman out of his hair, we went downstairs and got into the car to go to breakfast. A thought occurred to me while we were in the parking lot. I asked Bill to go around to the back of the building, where we could view our deck. I was going on a hunch, which turned out to be correct. Directly below our deck is the Woodside Deli: an old beach deli wherein coldcut sandwiches are created without air conditioning, even in 90+ degree weather. You might imagine that this place has a...specific and strong odor. It does. You might then imagine that whatever rooms exist above the deli would also have a specific and strong odor. You would be correct.

A HA!

There is a REASON for the weird smell and strange noises in our room! Between the hoagie stench wafting up from below, and the large exhaust fans running periodically (even throughout the night), Bill and I could finally remove blame from the Beacon Motel, and place it in properly on the Woodside Deli.

Could it be that The Beacon may have a second chance?!?

After our discovery, we stopped at a cute coffee shop for breakfast. Bill read the New York Times over a cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin and I gobbled up half a blueberry scone. I wondered out loud if it would be worth asking the front desk if we could possibly switch rooms. Bill and I decided it was worth a try.

So upon finishing breakfast, Bill approached the ladies at the front desk. With his blue eyes, irresistable smile and semi-true excuse that our air-conditioner was faulty, we were given 2 rooms to examine for possible short-term residence. The first had a better view, but was still over the Deli (across the hall from our stinky room). The second was down the hall, away from the Deli, and had a nice view of the pool. Upon opening the door, I was surprised to find a fresher "motel" scent (not quite as impressive as Fresh Hotel Scent, but it would do). We were sold. Bill moved our stuff over, which thoroughly confused the cleaning ladies (who, by the way, were cleaning rooms as early as 9am. What if people were still asleep???).

Finally settled, and completely relieved by our improved accommodations, we took ourselves to the beach. Well, the Bay. The Bay is great, as there are no waves and less people. We had the perfect compromise of weather for Steph and Bill Anderson: Partly cloudy. Cloudy for Bill every few minutes, Sunny for me in between. For 2 hours, we relaxed, basked, read, walked and enjoyed each other's company. What a great first half of the day! (Lucy did get her first sunburn, as I braved the beach in a bikini, and my tummy wasn't quite ready for the solar rays. Don't worry - she is okay!).

We stopped for lunch and decided to try out the Beacon's pool. Bill and I were delighted to find the pool small and mostly unpopulated. We spent another 2 hours lounging, swimming, reading and napping. Amazing! Before we left the pool, I took a picture of our rooming situation.

You will see below in the first picture our original room. You can barely see, but it is the 3rd in from the left. It is over the Woodside Deli (which can be identified by the huge exhaust fan). Our present room can be seen in the next picture - it is the last room all the way over to the right. Notice the extra big deck. YEAH!

We showered up, and directed our travels toward Rehoboth.

Dinner was enjoyed at Grotto's (a Rehoboth original), after which we walked around to tour the shops, spent a short time on the boardwalk, and got me some ice cream. It was Bill's hope to stop at a bar to sit and enjoy a margarita to himself, but all of the establishments were full with a long wait.

On our way out of Rehoboth, I encouraged Bill to take us to the place we ate last night: Agave. It was great last night, so we spent some time at the bar. The bartender was sweet enough to make me a virgin strawberry margarita (read: smoothie), while Bill enjoyed his 'rita's.

We are now back, enjoying our MUCH more appeasing accommodations, looking forward to what tomorrow brings!

Now, isn't that a Redemptive Post??

Thanks to all who shared their concerns and empathized with our plight. :)

Yippee Fun Time. Day 2.

2008-06-30T07:43:00.004-04:00

I look like a caveman.

This is abnormal. I do not usually look like a caveman. "Why do you look like a caveman, Bill?" Because I spent last night trying (trying) to sleep at the Beacon Motel. Here's what happened:

Steph already related the wall color, the septic state of every surface, the view (see below), the smell (somewhere inside a triangle of Indian food, mothballs, and Lysol.) etc. I would like to add some additional commentary, now that I can provide it with a sound experiential foundation.

Last night, I started to feel sleepy around 10:30. I had tasty tacos in my stomach, Margarita in my bloodstream, and Butterfinger Blizzard in my teeth. I read for a bit, and finally attempted to repose on the torturous surface that I will, with purposeful inaccuracy, refer to as a "bed." The next time you see me, ask me how many steel coils are inside the mattress of a Beacon Motel "bed." I can tell you with perfect precision, because I have a knot in my body for each one.

Again, I attempted to repose. Steph turned on the end of Wedding Crashers, followed by the beginning of Wedding Crashers (even the TV stations are caught in a groundhog-day loop of torture) and then Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe (which was okay.)

We fell asleep as best we could given the circumstances. My back, at the time, did not feel like it does now, which is like a Caveman's back. We slept, and slept, and slept for about forty five minutes before the air conditioner, mounted in the wall, began to do this:

"Tick......Tick tick.....Tickaty tick....WAM....tick....ticktick....tickaty WAM WAM.....tic...."

It's hot out, so I think we both tried to ignore it for as long as possible. During this time, we both fantasized separately about the air condioner bursting into flames, in which case we would be perfectly justified in demanding a full refund, and quitting the motel entirely. We could sleep in the car, we each imagined.

Eventually the noise got so unbearable that I had to walk over and shut it off, which it seemed relieved to have me do. As I lumbered back across the carpet in my bare feet (not my proudest moment) I immediately felt the room begin to grow warm. I got into our "bed" and continued to attempt to repose. Steph squirmed. The child inside of her squirmed. I squirmed.

A thunderstorm swept into Lewes at about the time that Steph remarked for the twenty seventh time that I was taking up too much of the bed. Zeus threw rain, thunder, and lightning at the Beacon Motel, but its unnatural power to cause discomfort was not assailed. It would have been a relief for the power to go out; the dorm sized fridge right next to our feet kept clicking on and humming all night. It got warmer.

I woke up feeling like I had slept in a tent. My back hurt, and I could smell my own face. You know what I'm talking about.

It wasn't until I staggered into the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror that I was able to judge just how poorly I had fared the previous night.

I looked like a caveman. And that was only night one at the Beacon Motel.

Vacation - Day 1

2008-06-29T20:38:00.004-04:00

So, here we are on Day 1 of "Just the 2 of Us" vacation in Lewes, Delaware. Technically, we could say that our vacation started yesterday, as we drove south to Longneck, DE and stayed the night with my dad. But, we did "work" yesterday, since we completed our 9am-4:30pm (yes, that is 7.5 hours) Childbirth Class. It was quite informative. Especially if you are interested in breathing techniques, watching videos of real births (WITHOUT the blurring out of private parts), and all you would want to know about pain management. And catheters.

Needless to say, I don't count yesterday as truly part of our vacation. I begin our vacation as we pull out of my dad's driveway around 11:30 this morning and head to the Tanger Outlets (which, Bill informs me, are rated among the Top 10 Best Outlets in Like The Whole World). Here begins our "Just the 2 of Us" adventure.

It has been interesting.

We arrive at the outlets, and it is HOT. Stinking HOT and HUMID. Every time we opened a door to a different store, we would almost have the wind knocked out of us when the wall of seemingly arctic air bombarded our sweaty selves. Bill and I didn't take a lot of time at the outlets, as it is easy to get sucked into spending money on unplanned items (which is why we own an ice cream maker - outlet purchase of 2 years ago). So, we went to the stores we knew we wanted to stop in, and made small, mostly-planned purchases. We even found a cute little outfit for Lucy (we couldn't help it!).

None of the food looked appealing, so we decided to head toward Lewes around 1:00pm to find some grub and kill some time before our 3:00pm check in. We ate at this little Italianish place which was "okay." Bill enjoyed a crabcake sandwich. I had a salad which was not bad - but I'm a hard read on eats these days. Although my nausea has dissipated, its absence has not resurrected my old appetite. I am also finding, with my stomach squished up in my ribs, that I can only eat small meals at a time. So, Bill finished my salad for me. We headed over to our "villa" for the next few days: The Beacon Motel. After researching our little get-away options and wanting to be economical, the Beacon seemed like the most frugal way to go.

I'd stayed at the Beacon numerous times in my childhood. As a child, I thought it was great; never had an issue with it. I figured for the price and the previously good experiences, we had a good deal going on. It is amazing how, as an adult, we can become aware of how idealistic our memories from childhood can be.

We arrive, and after waiting for a bit, we ask to check in. The lady behind the counter wrote up (yes, WROTE UP) our receipt, and asked for our credit card. After the archaic credit card machine completed our sale of the room (by, what seemed like, a communication with Russia via Sputnik, since it took FOREVER), we ventured up the stairs to our room. Notice I said "up the stairs." Yup. There is no elevator. How do I not remember this from my childhood?!? Now, as a (pregnant) adult, I find it a slight burden. We find our room, and open the door. I waited in the hall for that fresh "hotel" scent. I see now that I was mislead, being reminded that this is a "motel" as opposed to a "hotel," and cannot possibly have the "fresh hotel" scent. I was, instead, greeted by a smell that I can only place in the category of my Nana's house - older, maybe a bit musty, but covered up by the cleaning products they use to sanitize the room. I was immediately deflated. We are staying in a room that smelled somewhat like my Nana's house on our first real "Just the 2 of Us" vacation. Bill assured me it was fine, and that we should just be relieved that they cleaned the room. Everything else was pretty normal. I look out the sliding doors to check out our "room with a view." Here is the amazing scenery:

Yes, those are dumpsters. Yes, that is a mostly-rusted VW van of some sort. Awesome.

Here is a picture of our room. First, take it in for all it's glory:

What things do YOU notice?

Here is what I see. First, the lime green walls. Don't adjust your computers. They really are that green. Second, the beds are Full size instead of Queen. Nothing worth complaining over, just inconvenient. Third, notice that both of the beds have been stripped of their comforters. We can thank Bill for this. Bill has been taught since a child that NO PART of one's body should ever come in contact with the top comforter of hotel rooms, except the tip of the index finger and thumb. And this is ONLY acceptable when you are REMOVING the dirty linen FROM the BED. Apparently, these are diseased, disgusting and quarrentine-able items. If I come home with unidentifiable rashes, you will know why: I made the mistake of SITTING ON THE COMFORTER when I got into the room. WHAT was I THINKING???? When Bill saw that I was sitting on the comforter, he became visibly uncomfortable and said, "Um, my mom always taught me that we shouldn't touch the top sheet of hotel room beds." He then proceeded to take the comforter off his side of the bed (mind you, with only the tips of his index finger and thumb, as only one should), and kept throwing wary looks because I had the audacity to continue sitting on, what could possibly be, a new form of germ-warfare.

Luckily, we have had a great sense of humor about the whole thing, and are enjoying being here TOGETHER. God is good that way. We ate dinner at a nice Mexican restaurant that Bill was really enthusiastic about. He ordered a margarita for the first time (he is looking over my shoulder and REALLY wanted me to inform the blog of this), which he thoroughly enjoyed. After dinner, we got Dairy Queen (which I was really enthusiastic about and thoroughly enjoyed.

We're now settling down in our room, attempting to kill a rebel flying ant that won't die (we've killed it - or so we thought - 3 times now. Wait for it...4 times). Tomorrow morning we look forward to starting our day at a bakery in town during the earlier part of the morning, waking up over coffee, pastries and the newspaper. Hopefully to be followed by some relaxing time at the beach and dinner in Rehoboth.

Let's see if all goes as planned, since for us, it never works out that way...dum dum duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!

Vacation t-minus 2 days!

2008-06-26T09:11:00.006-04:00

On Saturday we leave for The Beach! Even though it will only be a few short days, we are pumped. It will be our last trip before the Lucy comes. I'm excited in the future to go on vacations with our sweet little girl - building sandcastles and taking her on rides on the board walk - it will be so fun! But, we need a quick vacation before our lives change.

Bill and I have had...almost...no vacations on our own. We've been blessed to have family and friends in fun-to-visit places (Colorado, England, Virginia - thank you for having us!!!), so we've spent most of our vacation time staying with loved ones. This has been such a blessing, and an awesome time to be with people we love so much. And we have some great memories from these trips. We thought it was about time, though, to go someplace just the 2 of us (we HAVE been married for a year and a half!). We are excited at the prospect of waking up whenever we want, planning our time however we want and EATING whatever we want. Mmmmmm...

I'm excited to be at the beach. I grew up going to the beach every summer. Some summers it was Sea Isle City, NJ. Some summers it was Rehoboth Beach, DE. I have such amazing memories at the beach: All of the creations we made with sand ~ Eating greasy pizza on the boardwalk ~ Waffle Sundaes ~ Sand getting in unmentionable places ~ Getting stung by jellyfish ~ Swimming with pollution. Does it get any better than that?

My family is lucky. We are Italian, and olive-skinned, so we can stay out in the sun and get a pretty sweet tan (I know, I know, we'll pay for it later in life). Bill said to me the other day, with a pout on his face, "We were sitting by the pool for only an HOUR. How did you get TAN in that time?" I don't know. It just happens.

I cannot say the same for Bill. Bill...tolerates the beach. His family (like ENTIRE FAMILY - parents, sibling, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) is pretty fair-skinned (except for me and Bill's one aunt - but she married in, just like I did). I look like I might be a different race all together when I am with them in the summer. MANY shades darker. I've seen pictures of Bill as a small boy at the beach (which I don't think he went to very often). Whereas the Recchiuti girls were in little-girl bathing suits, romping in the water and letting their golden skin be kissed by the sun, Bill (and his family) were bundled up in clothing, under umbrellas, avoiding the sun's "Kiss of Death." I'm certain that, in our short time away, Bill will get burnt. Poor guy.

But, Rehoboth holds the Dogfish Head Brewery, Bill's favorite place in the world, so it is all worth it to him.

Plus he gets to hang out with me :)

Backing up several paragraphs, I will say that we did TRY to have a Steph & Bill mini vacay after Christmas this year. We attempted to have a relaxing 2 days at a bed and breakfast in Ephrata, PA. This was a failure for several reasons:

1. We went to Ephrata, PA. Need I say more?

2. There is NOTHING to do in Ephrata, PA. Especially shortly after Christmas. We did a few trips to the Lancaster Outlets and to Hershey. That was the extent of our excitement.

3. The weather was gray, bleak and depressing.

4. The B & B was...nice and historic. So was the Inn keeper. A curmudgeon of a woman who resembled a frog more than a person. She actually CONFRONTED me for not finishing my tea during the allotted Snack Time. After CONFRONTING me she SCOLDED me. Heck, I'm PAYING TO STAY HERE. If I don't want to FINISH MY TEA because the gross creamer SEPARATED in my tea, then that's MY RIGHT as a CONSUMER. And I'm PREGNANT! Take that, Dorothy Graybill.

5. I was in the midst of morning/all-day sickness, and nothing appealed to my palate.

6. Bill was convinced that our room was haunted. No lie.

7. We went to EPHRATA for crying out loud.

So, as summer approached, we thought it would be appropriate to attempt to have one last vacation with the 2 of us, before it becomes the 3 of us (not counting Jake, of course). We'll be in Lewes, DE, and hope to keep you in the loop of our adventures!

Hopefully our hotel room won't be haunted...

I'm Having a Baby?!?

2008-06-26T08:59:00.004-04:00

Time is ticking away, and I'm not really sure when it happened, but I'm just about a month away from having Lucy (or, like 2 weeks away, AUGH! Who knows!). It's like I woke up, and BAM, I'm 35 weeks. I remember back in December thinking, "the summer will take so long to get here - I have so much TIME." I wanted time. Time to think, time to prepare, time to pray. And I've...done all those things. We have the nursery set up (I'll try to add a pic later this week), we've had a shower (THANK YOU TO ALL WHO WERE SO GENEROUS IN ADDING TO OUR BABY STUFF!), we've been shopping. So, if Lucy came today (oh dear Lord), we'd have everything we "need."

But am I ready?

I think as time gets closer, I start to realize more and more what it means to be a Mom. A Mother. A Momma. Mommy. At this point, those words don't yet describe me. But they will. A small life will DEPEND on me. For a really LONG TIME. My life, Bill's life, will change. It will never be the same, it will never be just the two of us. Some days that scares me. Some days, I get nervous at how NOT awake I will be to feed and change diapers at 3am. Heck, I haven't even CHANGED a diaper in a LONG TIME. I start to hear these little lies, "What kind of mother can you be if you haven't changed a diaper recently? If you haven't tended to a baby recently? You won't know and DON'T know what you are doing! Mwahahaha." Somehow, there is always an evil little laugh too.

But there is no way to prepare for it. I could babysit 30 hours a week from now until she comes - and I wouldn't be ready. This is where trusting God comes in - and realizing that I am not in control - He is. I'd like to think, somewhere within me, there are some maternal instincts that have yet to be unearthed, and they will show up at just the right moment.

God put me in this situation, and He will see me through.

I'm guessing at some point, most soon-to-be-Mom's go through a few "Holy Crap" freakouts. With hormones all over the place, how can you not?!?

Beyond it all, though, we are excited. For something very unknown to us. We'll keep you updated :)

Sleepy Time Pals

2008-06-06T16:55:00.004-04:00

I just thought it was cute - both of the boys were resting after a hard days work: Bill, a day full of teaching kids; Jake, a day full of...well we aren't too sure what Jake does, but I'm sure it's tiring.

Things found in the trunk of our car:

2008-05-21T18:27:00.002-04:00

1 Large bottle of Bleach.

1 Tent,

1 bag of poles for tent.

Various boots, shoes, flip flops.

1 Set of really old golf clubs.

12 mangled Young Life campaigner songbooks.

1 sun visor, driver's side.

2 adjustable dumbbells

Decorative plates.

2 plastic jack-o-lanterns

"The Sun Also Rises" audiobook, as read by William Hurt

1 yak track (just the right foot)

Mail from 365 days ago.

1 piece of the car's undercarriage that fell off in the past 365 days.

1 Lid to a large tupperware bin

1 pair of underwear.

1 Christmas themed necktie.

Can of eggshell paint

1 can of spackle.

1 handful of bent up "Journey" Bibles

Enough random paper and junk to fill 1 trash bag.

1 ruptured trash bag. All over the driveway.

1 outburst of rage.

1 cathartic blog posting.

Wanted: Happy Advice on Motherhood

2008-05-19T08:28:00.004-04:00

Hopefully today (or, probably more realistically, sometime this week - there is a lot of administrative YL stuff I need to get done before I post), I will post some recent events that Bill and I have experienced over the past month (pictures and all). Since it's 8:30am, and I still need to eat breakfast (and uploading pictures takes a long time somedays), I will post a non-visual post.

I hope this isn't a "Gripe Post," but I feel compelled to share. I was talking to Megan and Renee at our YL End of the Year BBQ yesterday, and they were giving me great encouragement about becoming a mother. It was nice advice, nothing scary or horrendous or deflating. I was thankful for positive input, and shared with them that recently I have been getting (very unwarranted and unwelcomed) advice and anecdotes from people that I come in contact with. They nodded their heads knowingly, as they had been there themselves.

Here is what I don't understand. There are TONS of mother's out there. And (apart from the ones I worked with at CYF), most of them LOVE being mothers! I know they find joy in their children, and wouldn't exchange having their little ones for anything in the whole world. I'm sure many of the mother's out there started out just like me: no experience, no knowledge, and lots of doubts, worries and fears. SO - if you mother's LOVE children, and many of you went on to have SEVERAL children, even after the pains of childbirth...if you went into this whole motherhood thing afraid and unexperienced, and yet made it out ok...WHY would you choose to share with a young mother-to-be your WORST horror stories of birth? WHY would you smirk and smile as you deflate the joy that this mother-to-be hopes to have with her new little one among snickers and comments of, "You'll never get a nap again!" or "You'll never get a free moment to yourself!" or "Get ready to never get a good nights sleep for the rest of your life!"

Seriously?!?

Now, I understand there are good and bad days (heck, good and bad parts to the SAME day). I have not experienced it yet, but I can absolutely appreciate that it is difficult. Perhaps even thankless most of the time. I am mentally prepared (as well as I can be) for the change my life and Bill's life will go through once Lucy comes. I am nervous that I won't be able to handle it, that the lack of sleep and no time to myself will break me down. I fear not knowing what to do or how to care for her. The *wonderful* comments you make to me give me NO HOPE that this little girl will be a reward in and of herself for the sacrifices we'll make. It's like I am committing to a life-long prison sentence.

And to be honest, YES, I am SCARED of birth. When all people depict is as "The Worst Pain You'll Ever Experience In Your Whole Entire Life," I can't really look forward to it. And, all of the stories you mom's (some of whom I do not know well, if at all) share with me about what went wrong and the awful things doctors or nurses did to you, DO NOT HELP. I repeat, they DO NOT HELP.

So here is what I have to say to you: I am not your therapist. I'm sure it makes you feel good to get those things off your chest, and you can "move on" in life - but they are of NO help to me. I know you love your kids - so next time you see an expecting mommy, give her encouragement, positive stories, and share with her what an amazing privilege it is to be a Mom. Because it IS a PRIVILEGE. Just by sharing those good things, it will make YOU feel uplifted about those precious gifts (ie: children) God has given you!

And it won't make me feel like crap.

With that said, and despite your stories, I am still very excited to be Lucy's mommy. I am nervous about the birth, and I think I have a healthy fear of life to come with a baby - I've never experienced it before, so it's the unknown. And that's ok.

I am going to invest in a button to wear when I go out (my friend told me about this) that says, "Positive birth stories only!"

...Or, I'm going to have to get earmuffs...

...with a side of Lucy

2008-05-16T12:52:00.002-04:00

Wow. I owe this blog some posts. I do have some events to post about, along with some pics - but I misplaced the cord to the camera, so it will have to wait until I get that. But hopefully soon.

Here is a conversation Bill and I had last Friday after eating at Outback:

Bill: Ugg. I feel so gross. I must have eaten 5 pounds of food.

Steph: See, now don't you understand how it feels for me to have several pounds of BABY in my abdomen?

Bill: That all depends. Was she battered and then deep fried?

Fish and Chips

2008-04-25T08:27:00.009-04:00

Bill is not a fan of television. He states this ALL the time. He explains how it is unhealthy: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Bill, like the intellectual that he is, would rather read BOOKS than watch TV. And I don't mean little books or trite books. He aspires to read (and accomplishes reading) books like "The Odessy," "Great Expectations," "Les Miserables." Books that I was supposed to have read in high school, but did not because of their length and inability to keep me engaged. If it doesn't draw me in on page one, I can't be made to read it. He likes those books.

I like television. Left to my own devices, I would accidentally watch TV for several hours without flinching. Literally. I'm sure my blinking reflex slows to a stop at times. I speak of this as though I could only, in theory, watch TV for several hours on end. I should rephrase. Left to my own devices, I have, on occasion, watched several hours of TV back to back (if it is in the evening, I most likely am watching "CSI" on SpikeTV). I'm sure my brain melted a little bit.

I read, too. Not as often as Bill. And I know that it is a much more healthy and engaging way to spend my time. I am aware of the fact that television does not really add to your mind or spirit (well, not all shows do). It's like how you know sweets and desserts are empty calories, and they add nothing beneficial to your body (but, let's be honest, you can't help but having some anyway).

I digress.

As much as Bill protests to the television, I have, on occasion, caught him watching television FOR PLEASURE. Mindless TV watching. It does happen. But there is one show that Bill will never protest, and could probably find some mental health benefit to watching:

The Deadliest Catch

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, it is on the Discovery Channel, and is narrated by Mike Rowe (from the show Dirty Jobs, which Bill and I will also watch on occasion). It is in, what I would call, documentary form. For a whole crabbing season, a camera crew follows several crabbing boats to the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia, while they brave the (literal) high seas, dangerous weather, and all other ridiculously risky conditions to catch King Crabs and Ophelia Crabs (2 different seasons) for $$$$$. They make mad money too. They'll be out for several weeks, and each deckhand can take home $30,000-$50,000. It's nuts.

But, at any moment, they could die. So there is a trade-off.

It's fun to watch, and you get to know the guys and their boats and their stories. They do funny things at times, like play pranks on the other boats. There is a dramatic side as well. In one episode, a guy fell over board INTO the BERING SEA. If you are in that water for more than 2 minutes, you could die.

It's cold out there.

So, as you can imagine, Bill was ecstatic to find out that 3 of the boat captains would be coming to his old place of employment, The Chester County Book Company, to do a promotion/book signing of their new books (2 books were written - but I'm not sure who wrote what). We would get to see Andy Hillstrand, John Hillstrand and Sigg Hansen. YEAHHHHHH...

As Monday, April 21 approached, we both got excited to meet these guys. I mean, they are on TV! The are hardcore! They fish in the BERING SEA! Since the book store does not promote big signings well anymore (among other things), we figured it would be attended by few. We got the word out to some of our friends and Bill's parents. We would be embarrassed if these men came so far and no one showed up due to the bookstore's lack of promotion (ask us about the time Arlen Specter came to speak at the bookstore with no promotion. Yeah, the one who is a SENATOR).

We arrived 30 minutes before the signing, and Bill (who is driving) says, "Oh man. It's going to be packed."

"How do you know?"

"Look how full the parking lot is."

I noted that the West Goshen Shopping Center parking lot could have been full due to any number of things happening at the other stores in the strip mall, including the sale at Dollar or Two. Bill rolled his eyes.

We run to the entrance, and sure enough, there are people outside filtering in. One of Bill's old co-worker's greeted us, stating that they are already sold out of the books. Her eyes were gleaming and her face was glazed over.

We get to the back of the store where the signing will be. It is packed. Standing room only. And the standing room doesn't even guarantee the ability to see the guys. Oh man. Bill says, "This is the biggest signing I've seen at the bookstore." (He'd worked there for almost 3 years).

"Even bigger than Dr. Phil?" I asked.

Bill nodded his head seriously. "Oh hell yeah."

One of the only signings that may have been bigger was before Bill's time, when a former president came to have his book signed (Reagan? Or maybe Carter? I didn't get the specifics).

At about 15 minutes before the signing, I had to go to the bathroom. Badly. And, I would NOT use the bathrooms at the Book Store. They are gross. So, Bill kindly offered to walk me next door to use the bathrooms at KMart. I could tell he was worried he would miss the beginning, but I promised I would be quick, and we would be back before it started. Bill's parents saved us spots.

As we opened the doors to exit the bookstore, as though it were a dream, a limo pulled up in front of us. And wouldn't you know it, ANDY HILLSTRAND, JOHN HILLSTRAND AND SIGG HANSEN all stepped out of the car. WHAT?!?! Since no one was expecting them to be up front, there was only a small crowd of us to witness the phenomenon. Bill's face lit up, and he got to SHAKE THEIR HANDS. Sigg Hansen called him "Brother." WHAT?!?!

Bill was on Cloud 9 while we ran to Kmart. I reminded him, as I ran as gracefully as I could as a pregnant woman with a very full bladder, how lucky he was that his wife was pregnant and had to pee as often as she does, or else meeting the Captains in person would have been a missed opportunity. I'm not sure he heard me.

I quickly peed and we ran (as best as I could in my condition) back to the bookstore, where they were just getting started. It was great to hear them. They took questions from the fans for about 15-20 minutes. They were humble men, dressed like they usually are on the boats (in windbreakers, dirty teeshirts and backwards baseball caps). They didn't try to impress anyone, and they were HILARIOUS. In true fisherman fashion, they did not censor their words for the ever-present children that were there to see them. Between hearing the phrase, "Does a bear shit in the woods?" and getting a low down on the fact that one of the guys has such a great sex life, I'm sure they were scarred for life.

It was great. We were hoping to linger long enough to get to meet them personally again, but they had hundreds of books to sign, and it was taking FOREVER. They were signing teeshirts (even though the sign on the front door said they would sign books ONLY) and taking pictures (expressly prohibited since it takes up so much time). They were SO COOL.

SO we didn't get to meet them again, but we do have some good pictures documenting the night.

Here are some pics of all 3 of the Captains. Sigg is the blond Nordic looking one. Andy Hillstrand is in the cowboy hat, and John Hillstrand is the straggely looking one in a backwards baseball cap.

Sigg Hansen. That's such a hardcore name, right?

And lastly, John Hillstrand...

All in all, a great night. Especially because we stopped and got Rita's on the way home. :)

Kayak On, Matey's!

2008-04-24T09:25:00.009-04:00

Atleast 3 years ago (I'm pretty sure it was before Bill and I started dating), Bill and I bought kayaks. Of our own, seperate, accords, but around the same time (not because the other had purchased one and we wanted to impress him/her).

I, for one, wanted a kayak because I had been to Maine with some friends twice (Rob and Jen's parent's vacation home, actually), and we spent much of our time in kayaks and canoes on the awesome lakes, enjoying God's creation. And hoping to spot a Moose. Which we did. Eventually.

I digress.

I loved being in the kayak, as I'd previously had a poor experience on a canoe (Thanks to Briana and Hans at Saranac Village during my first Young Life summer trip - another story altogether. Let me just say, it involved Brie and I swimming a sinking canoe into shore on Saranac lake, while onlookers wondered why Hans was IN the sinking boat shouting "Iceburg! Right ahead!"). I was nearing college graduation, and decided I was closing in on adulthood. And as an adult woman, I could decide how I wanted to spend my money. So I treated myself to a Wilderness System Pungo. And it ROCKS. It's nice and long, so you don't spin in circles when you use it, and it's got some nice storage space in the rear of the boat.

The only drawback is that it's bright orange. Like, traffic cone orange.

Bill purchased a Perception Acadia (which is now called something else when you go to EMS). It's red, and slightly smaller than mine. I have less to say about it, since it's not really my boat, and I don't know the pretenses under which Bill bought it. But, I will say that it has a better drainage system then mine does.

In the beginning stages of our relationship, we went kayaking on the Brandywine several times, which was a BLAST. And still is. I highly recommend it. Bill has also had the opportunity over the past 2 years to go a handful of times as a chaperone with Mr. Lammey's Brandywine Flows class at Henderson High School.

I haven't been in the kayak for ages, and with the weather forecasted at sunny and 80 degrees this past Saturday, Bill and I thought it was high time to go. Since I am in a more "fragile" state (read: pregnant), we thought it would be better to go on a calm and predictable lake, as opposed to the less-predictable creek or river (although I'm kind of wanting to do the Brandywine once before I get too far along and huge to do it). Our sites landed on Marsh Creek.

Friday afternoon, we clean our DISGUSTING kayaks from the winter filth it had gathered in Bill's parent's yard (who graciously stored them for us - thanks Mom and Dad!) - which was a task unto itself. We then texted and harassed every last one of our friends to join us, since Marsh Creek has rental boats.

One brave soul obliged: Keith Becker.

So, Saturday morning, Bill strapped the kayak's to our Thule Stacker (THANK YOU JACK FOR THE AWESOME CHRISTMAS PRESENT!!), picked up Keith from a previously determined location (read: Red Robin parking lot) and headed for Marsh Creek.

We arrived, and had to get our launching permit from the Park office. Keith went to rent a boat. And then we were ready to roll!

Since Bill wouldn't give me permission to take our newer digital camera out on the Lake with us (booooo), I grabbed a quick action shot of Bill and Keith pushing off (I quickly followed):

We were out for about an hour, touring the Dam, trying to stay away from the fisherman, and enjoying the scenery. Keith's rental was just about up, so we headed back to shore. I was pretty exhausted by that point, especially after we found out the snack bar was not yet open for the season (and we had not brought lunch). So, I was done for the day. Keith and Bill took another spin around the lake while I lounged in the sun:

I had to keep myself busy somehow:

Bill and Keith on the last stretch back (you can tell by their faces as I get closer that they think I am crazy for snapping pictures of them):

Once the boys got into port, we (read: Bill and Keith) loaded the kayaks on the roof rack, and we headed to Red Robin for lunch. We were starving.

Anyone up for kayaking again soon???????

Valley Forge - the Long Way Around

2008-04-24T08:58:00.014-04:00

I have lots of good pictures and stories to capture on Blogger today, but instead of making one monsterously long and boring post, I will make several.

This one will be shorter. A few weeks ago (maybe 2 or 3), the weather started to become "spring-like." Ah. It's beautiful! On one of the first warm days (where it was "warm" but you were still comfy in pants and a long-sleeved tee-shirt), Bill had fortunately not been assigned a sub job. We also noticed, unfortunately, that Jake was dying to have some outside, burn-off-some-energy time. We were clued in after we noticed that he has been clawing/biting/scratching/attacking the molding in the kitchen.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

He was desperate.

So, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to go to Valley Forge park for a leisurely walk on one of the many beautiful trails. We'd taken Jake previously with our friends, Rob, Jen and Aiden Jones. Jake had enjoyed himself, as did the rest of us. And now, since we live in Phoenixville, we are SO CLOSE to the park, it would have been a sin (literally, check the bible) if we HADN'T gone to the park that day.

So we arrived at the park. Bill and I discussed what route we wanted to take, and how long we wanted to walk. In the end, we thought a 30-40 minute walk from the Visitor's Center would be optimal. So we started off:

As we started a walk, a little boy, maybe 3 years old, was sitting atop his dad's shoulders. He was naming things as he walked. "Cannon!" "Tree!" "Car!" As they approached us, the little boy pointed at Jake and exclaimed, "Kitty Cat!" Poor Jake.

When we got 20 minutes out, Bill and I reassessed our plan. We could turn around now, for a 40 minute walk, or we could carry on, figuring the trail around the park can't take THAT long.

We chose option #2.

And it WAS that long.

2 and a half hours later (and one pee break for the preggers lady), I was a hurting girl. My legs, my belly. Ah! But, I wasn't in SO much pain, that I couldn't take some time out to capture a picture with my awesome hubby :)

And we randomly ran into Barb Dunn, who was taking advantage of the nice day to ride her bike around the park. Yeah, Barb!

Overall, it was a nice day. Next time, though, I will study the trial maps a LITTLE more closely...

Week in Review

2008-04-14T10:08:00.003-04:00

So, nothing too exciting is going on in the Anderson household, but I'm trying to stay semi-on-top-of blogging, so I'll give you the boring stuff.

I feel like I've mostly recovered from our Young Life fundraising banquet on April 4. Matt de Montaigne and I have to work on getting all the stuff processed, but otherwise, I feel good about it all. There is so much to think through and pray through regarding my job on staff here in Schuylkill Valley. Perhaps I will process that in another blog, as I'm still processing it myself in my head. It is awesome, though, to see how God is moving in this area.

Bill had his screening interview with WCASD on Friday, and I am proud to say it went well. His info will supposedly be passed on to a principal for review/consideration for a position. It is a hard district to get into, so we are really leaving it ALL up to GOD. I know that working for WCASD is Bill's dream, but as we pray, I know that if God says "No," it is because He has a greater "Yes" in store. Perhaps Bill gets the job, and it's a dream come true. Perhaps he doesn't because there is another district, other students, that God wants Bill to have an impact on. Or, that God has stuff to teach us elsewhere. Either way, there is really no "lose." It gets a little nerve-wracking to think about the Fall with a baby on the way - but I'm confident God will provide - even if it's in a way we least expect. So, we need to be open! I'm hoping to have more to share with you in the next few days - hopefully this week will be more exciting.

I'll leave you with a new fear that I've come up with regarding having a baby. This is why I should stay away from news websites:

Steph's New Fear

What are the CHANCES?!?!

Baby Vs. Alien

2008-04-08T11:14:00.002-04:00

This morning, I was lying in bed, and Lucy was kicking kicking kicking. The kicks get harder each day (some of them, I am certain, are to some of my more crucial organs), and I've found myself wondering if I could actually SEE the kicks from the outside. A few days ago, from my poor vantage point, I tried to watch (since there is never a guarantee a kick is about to happen), and I would see a small tremor here and there (like a vibration in my stomach). Nothing exciting. I was hoping for some major limb-thrusting-out-of-abdomen action. I figured I'd wait until a few days and see what happens.

This morning the kicks were pretty insane. So, Bill and I concentrated on watching my stomach, trying to see if we could observe anything substantial. And, boy did we get a show! I'll be honest, it was a little bit freaky - kind of like the movie Alien. You would see these huge portions of my belly lift up, or move to the right or left. Bill and I looked at each other (Incredulously? Freaked out? Impressed? Scared? I'm not sure) and I know we were both thinking, "HOLY CRAP." Either way, as freaky as it was, it was pretty cool. She must be growing strong in there, and I'm sure overtime, we'll get used to it.

As long as she comes out a baby and not an alien.

Next time I'll try to see if I can get a video of it, because it's pretty crazy.

Things are Getting Difficult...

2008-04-08T10:56:00.004-04:00

I'm now just about 6 months along, and while I am not yet a whale (don't worry, I know it's coming), I've found that some things have gotten progressively more difficult. Here is a running list for your entertainment/my records:

1. Shaving my legs. Sorry if that is very blunt. Partly, I'm having difficulty seeing over my belly. Partly, it just doesn't feel good to bend over anymore. This leads me to #2...

2. Bending Over/Picking Things Up. I've noticed in the past few weeks that bending over to pick up something I dropped (particularly in a swift fashion so as to keep it out of the iron grips of Jake's mouth) is increasingly more difficult. It just feels like there is a large ball in the way of bending more than 30 degrees. Yes, there was a time I could bend probably 90 degrees, but those days are temporarily gone. I'm now picking things up in those awkward semi-squat, semi-hip bend, semi-scoot it with your foot position. I've seen pregnant women (or larger men with beer bellies) do this, often wondering if it was necessary to put on such a show. It is. Otherwise whatever was dropped is now just staying there. I can't imagine how much MORE difficult this will get as my belly grows.

3. Turning over while lying down. Whether it is on the couch or in bed while I attempt (*note the word 'attempt') to sleep, I can no longer gracefully lift my body to switch from right to left side. It seems to take all the little strength my abs and ligaments have left to do this, often resulting in unexpected cramps or pains. I've also noticed a little bit of Restless Leg Syndrome. I don't know if it is a clinical diagnosis of the disease, but I will suddenly find myself with an overwhelming urge to just shake my legs out or get up. It is a need that has to happen RIGHT NOW.

4. And lastly, it is getting more and more difficult NOT to get excited for Lucy's arrival. :) That is a good difficulty. Bill comes home most days, and one of the first things he shares is that he cannot WAIT for Lucy to come. I think about her often, wondering what she will look like and what her personality will be like. I try to imagine life as a mother - each second at the whim of what your baby needs. Will I be able to handle the little sleep I will get? What will it be like to have a small creature need you every moment of every day? It is a scary thought, but each day I get more and more ready for it.

Props to my Amazing Husband...

2008-04-07T19:14:00.004-04:00

Since Bill does not really take this blog (or any blog, for that matter) very seriously, I wanted to sing his praises and, most of all, Praise God, for getting a long-term sub job at Collegium Charter School from the end of April until the end of June! Being just fresh out of college, I am so impressed by Bill's ability to interview - he apparently is an impressive interviewee. Bill is already an amazing teacher, and I cannot wait for him to finally get plugged into a full-time position - because he's going to be a blessing to any student who enters his classroom. Love you, sweetheart!

And, much thanks to God for His faithfulness - we never saw this position at Collegium coming - and it helps us to step out in faith all the more for God's provision and protection over us in the future.

Next step - job for the Fall!

I'll give some Steph updates tomorrow, hopefully!

Random Impulse Buy or Life Giving Addition to Our Home?

2008-04-07T19:04:00.004-04:00

So, after a great Saturday going to Valley Forge Park for a walk with our friends Rob, Jen and baby Aiden (Jake was there too, might I add), Bill and I went out to a relaxing dinner at Chile's in King of Prussia. We ate until our heart's content, and then we leisurely went over to the Mall to stroll. We were hoping to purchase this awesome Blueberry Bliss Rooibos looseleaf tea from Teavana, but instead were sidetracked by a Last Day sale at the ever-so-random Bonzai tree store.

We have never talked about purchasing one of this little beauties, nor did we weigh the pros and cons of the cost of the plant. But for whatever reason, that evening, we were both on the same page and ready to become the proud owners of a bonzai tree.

So we are - a Funkien Tea Tree, to be exact...

Happy 1st Birthday, Jake!

2008-04-01T12:34:00.004-04:00

And here is Jakey boy - newly groomed and 1-year old. No, he is not a chihuahua. And he isn't as nice as he looks...but we love him :)

Baby Belly...22 1/2 weeks (pretty much 23 weeks - almost 6 months!)

2008-04-01T11:55:00.007-04:00

Ok...so for our records (and for those of you who live nowhere near us and don't see us often), here is a pic of me - I'm almost 23 weeks, which for those of you who can't do that math in your heads (I can't either), I am a week shy of 6 months:

Most people say I look pretty small for how far along I am. This had me worried for a while - but I've been assured by my friend Jen that it is a good thing haha. Plus, the doctor has said she is normal size and everything, so that is good.

Confirmation: There is DEFINITELY something in there...

2008-04-01T11:38:00.004-04:00

Ok, so it's been a month since last posting. This makes me an awful hypocrite - since I enjoy checking up on other people's blogs. If I were to have fans (which I don't, since very few people check this blog), they would be sorely disappointed.

So, on March 13, we had our 20 week ultrasound. We found out that 1) we are having a baby girl and 2) she is "within normal limits." Much like a lab experiment on rats might be found "within normal limits." Or, I did not get stopped for speeding, because I was "within normal limits." Overall, I was SO ecstatic to find out our baby is a girl. I was really fine to have it either way, but I am surprisingly relieved. Like, I know girls. I AM a girl. This takes the pressure off of figuring out new body parts and other things that go along with having a boy. If for some reason they were wrong, though, and this baby comes out as a boy, I assure you we are excited to love him just the same.

The ultrasound was cool, too, since we saw her moving. I feel her move all the time (sometimes a lot, sometimes she hits my bladder, sometimes it kind of feels funky) - but to see her move on the screen, and make the connection that this is what she does inside my belly, was pretty crazy. I also thought it was cute that her femur measured 3 centimeters! AW!! She was just about 12 oz then - but almost 3 weeks have passed, so I'm sure she is closer to a pound. Cute thing.

And we want to name her Lucy Elizabeth. :)

One of the other reasons I have withheld from blogging is that our camera needed batteries. What is the point of an ALL WORD blog with NO VISUALS? All of my other blogger friends post cute pictures AND VIDEOS of their lives. I'm so boring. So I felt I couldn't show my face on Blogger until I got batteries.

Which I did. Today.

So, I can post some pics!

But, to add to the excitement, I will post them in another blog. Just give me a minute...

Matrix Moments

2008-03-05T11:01:00.004-05:00

I so often find myself wondering "What the heck am I doing here?"

After years of praying, I follow God's call to work with Young Life. I follow God's call to move to an area, to a town, to a high school, that I am mostly unfamiliar with. I follow God's call to a great community of people who were, at first, strangers to me. I was an outsider. It was weird, it was difficult. I asked myself more than once a day, "What the heck am I doing here?"

I love Young Life. I will take that back and rephrase. I love what God does through Young Life. I love the opportunity high school kids have to be introduced to the God that created them and bought them back for a price. I love telling kids about the hope and joy and adventure and fullness that is found in a life following Jesus. I love that, as a sophomore in high school, at a hard time in my life, God put friends in my life who invited me to Club and to Winter Weekend, where I heard about God, Jesus and the work done on the Cross that I might have new life. The life we were meant to have. Created to be in. I love that, as a leader, I have the privilege to give up my time, my money, and the "rights" of a 26 year old to spend time building relationships with kids, loving them and showing them Christ's love. I love having a front row seat as God changes their lives. I love being able to spur them on in loving Christ, in seeing the brokenness in the world and people and being a light in dark places.

But as much as I love it, it is difficult. It breaks your heart. You get discouraged. You get bitter. You get frustrated. You get rejected. You can't control anything. At your worst, you begin to lose hope. You watch kids walk away into Darkness and you desperately want to give them Light, and the only option you have is to entrust them to God. I am on my knees, wondering "Why the heck am I here?"

There are different challenges in Schuylkill Valley (my area), as well, that compounds and complicates the difficulties. Things I don't understand, sometimes don't agree with, and ultimately cannot, myself, control. It's a harder lot than I signed on for. I wanted familiar, I wanted functional, I wanted normal, if there is such a thing. And at the end of the day, often in tears, I cry out to God, "Why the heck am I here?"

And the other day, He answered.

Monday was gorgeous. It was a true Spring day, despite the fact that it is still, technically, Winter. There is something that melts away in your heart on the first Spring Day after a Cold Winter. You being to remember things about yourself, about God, about life and this world. I woke up with a joy in my heart that is so often buried, enclosed in ice, during the grayness of Winter. As the heart ice melts, I can see things slightly more clear, I begin to recall God's voice. I allow myself to be Reminded in the warmth of the sun. I woke up being Reminded.

I had the opportunity that same day to pray with Jane, a parent and great support to Young Life in this area. I could feel the prayers welling up in my heart during our time together before God. The ice continued melting, the warmth continued penetrating. And I allowed myself to be Reminded.

After our time, I had to go to the grocery store. I usually despise the grocery stores in Phoenixville. I find myself despising lots of things in this area. Perhaps it is something I resist to like, the same way I resist liking aspects of the town and community and people, in fear of loving something that is hard to love. Knowing God is calling me to love it. Knowing that when we are called to love something, it will be hard and it will hurt.

But I was being Reminded, and the ice was melting, and I floated through the automatic doors to the Giant. And that is when I had The Matrix Moment.

There is a part in the Matrix when Neo finally understands. He understands what Morphius has been trying to explain. He understand the Matrix and he understands who he is. He looks around as it falls into place, and Neo can see the code. It clicks.

I walked into Giant that day, and looked around, and understood. I saw the people, their faces, perhaps their souls. And I finally heard God's answer to my cry, "Why the heck am I here?"

"Because I have brought you here to love these people."

I couldn't keep the smile off of my face as I picked food off of the shelves. I knew that I might wake up the next day frustrated and grasping for Truth. But that day, I got it. And I knew that I could, from that point on, hold onto the Truth. I can recall to mind the almost audible words I heard that day in the grocery store. The road is long, and it won't be easy. But, boy, will it be worth it.

I am here to Love.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." ~ Matthew 9:36

Things.

2008-02-26T19:58:00.003-05:00

I know things.

I know what a "mash tun" is. I know what happens at the end of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." I know how to put together Ikea stuff. I know what that persistent smell under the passenger seat is.

And Steph knows things.

She knows how every episode of CSI ends. Because she's seen each one. She knows why my definition of saute ("to put in a hot pan until indisputably brown") is inadequate. She knows my social security number.

And soon, we can teach those things to our child. We can teach her or him other, more consequential things too, of course. Someday in the future they can teach our grandchildren all the things they have come to know as true. Like how to warp through a black hole to another space-time plane. Or how to chemically adjust, via laser beams and sound waves, that regular coke into an aspartame-free diet.

[Sigh.] Oh, the future.

So...We Think There's Something In There...

2008-02-26T19:44:00.004-05:00

I'm starting to think that there is something living in my lower abdomen. Sure, we've heard a heartbeat and I've been feeling rotten for 3 months. But, I'm really starting to believe that *something is IN there.* Why, you ask, am I getting these almost clairvoyant inclinations? Well because...

...It MOVES...

I know, crazy, right? It all started a few days ago. I was lying down in bed watching TV. And I noticed some ill-placed gas bubbles in my lower abdomen. Why this caught my attention, I have no idea, for as many of you know, I have been a gas-sufferer for some time now. But, that particular night it caught my attention. Perhaps because it was not in the "right" place? But I took notice, stopped and waited to see if I felt it again. Nothing happened for a little while, and I figured that it was nothing. But then all of a sudden there was a little *thud.* I guess that is the only way to describe it. Nothing big, nothing anyone could feel on the outside, but a little thud. Like someone lightly flicked me on the inside of my lower abs. Then it occurred to me, "Steph, they have been telling you for a while now that a BABY is in there. You are 4 and a half months pregnant. Maybe that baby is now trying to make CONTACT with you."

Whoa.

Flashes of "Independence Day" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" flashed through my mind. But they quickly subsided and the true and honest realization that whatever God is growing in me is REAL and it's ALIVE, however small it may be.

So it's pretty cool.

Now that I am aware of it, I feel Babykins all the time. Sometimes it's like little squirmies. Sometimes itty bitty thuds.

And sometimes, of course, because I am me, it's just gas.

But I'm getting better at telling the difference.

Roadtrip, Fun Times, Good Friends and Deep Thoughts

2008-02-20T18:09:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus - Bill and I just got back yesterday from our mini-vacation Roadtrip! I had Intern Training in Baltimore (at Grace Fellowship) on Friday, so we took the opportunity (since Monday was a holiday) to go the extra 3 hours after training to see our good friends in Charlottesville, VA! This mainly comes from the guilt they have been laying on us for years, as it has been quite some time since we visited. It also works out well that we have several friends in that area. We had such a great time being with people. One of the set of people we visited were the Cramers, our old YL leaders. Even as adults in ministry ourselves, it is always great to be learning and growing and thinking, even for a weekend, with the people who first taught you about Christ.

I have done a lot of thinking recently. None of which I can easily write on this blog, mostly because it is not even clearly written in my head. It sounds so nebulous, but I have been challenged a lot in the past 6 months to think about Truth. Really, what do I believe is Truth? I do believe there is one Truth, and it is God's, and that any other "smaller" truths are really just a small fraction of God's greater Truth. With that said, to understand truths at all, wouldn't one, then, have to be confident in what the Greatest Truth is? What has been difficult for me is that I've never questioned it - once I began to walk with Christ, it was just *boom* clear. But the deeper you dwell and the farther you walk, you begin to see there are...different versions of the Truth. Different people, different denominations, different schools of thought. How can one discern what is, above ALL, correct? Sometimes, as one encounters a different "version," it makes one feel uncomfortable. Is it uncomfortable because it challenges a sleeping part of the Truth and could potentially awaken us to a greater understanding? Or is that God in us, leading us to discern what is True and what is Not?

My simplest answer is that the Holy Spirit is in us, and is able to test and approve all things in us. At this point, I am trusting my gut to tell me that, when something doesn't settle right, that I should Proceed With Caution. I am continually trying to be open to God showing me Truth, so I'm having an open mind (while not compromising what I know, thus far, to be True).

So, that is where I am. Sorry if that is vague. Perhaps to you it doesn't make sense. Or, maybe it resounds completely. Either way, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hopefully more interesting things to come...

Why Blogging Is Vain, And Why I Shall Do It Anyway.

2008-02-13T20:37:00.002-05:00

Blogging is vain. Keeping a public record of one's most trivial thoughts, and presuming that they are important to other people, is nothing short of [looks through thesaurus for alternative to 'vain'] ostentatious and swollen-headed [up top!].

I shall do it anyway. Because The Internet represents the greatest step toward democratic perfection since the establishment of our nation. In this anonymous democracy all ideas, even the most trivial, receive equal billing. Not that that's always a good thing. Consider for a moment the fact that we know more about Britney Spears' incarceration [or whatever] than we do about the stability of whole nations. The average American is [I assert, without a shred of evidence... but a keen sense of intuition] more informed about the life and death of a certain drug addicted, deviant, drawling actor [in boots] than they are about the ongoing primary elections. For leader of the free world.

Ahem. I digress. Let the Workers of the World decide for themselves whether the postings of our family blog are relevant and noteworthy. The onus, as it has been said, is on them. A democracy of ideas, one in which all people, regardless of how qualified they are, have an equal voice, is the alleged atmosphere in which we communicate.

And it is my intention to discern whether this is a good thing.

Not Neti-sarily

2008-02-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

So, I am not usually into fads. Especially ones that seem kind of new-agey and weird. There are few info-mercials that I have ever thought to myself, "Wow, I can see myself USING that" (this, of course, excludes The Magic Bullet, which I think would be as great as it seems on the info-mercial). There is one product that has been buzzing around recently, one that I have been uncertain about, one that makes me uncomfortable when I watch the Demo Video. That product is...

...The Neti Pot.

I have been suffering from a stuffy nose for a while, which I have been told is actually a symptom of pregnancy. I have been blowing my nose like crazy (to the frustration of Bill), trying to sleep elevated, drink a lot of water, yet to no avail.

I have been directed to the infamous Neti Pot by some friends, who swear by it's efficacy. I went online and watched the Demo Video, which did anything but win me over. Have you ever watched it? WHAT?!?! I kept imagining myself drowning in my bathroom, death by Neti Pot. But, the further online research I did, I found that Dr. Oz endorses nasal cleanses. WHAT?!?!

So, after another night of not breathing through my nose, Bill and I ventured to Kimberton Whole Foods and purchased a Neti Pot. Well, not a Neti Pot, but another brand that Kimberton Whole Foods has carried for 20 years. We came home, and followed the instructions to mix the saline solution for the pot. I wanted to try it first, since I was the afflicted one. I put the pot up to my nose, and had to stop several times before actually trying it because Bill kept cracking me up. Laughing and using a Neti Pot does not mix, if you don't want to drown, that is.

So, after getting the giggles out, I courageously plugged the spout up my left nostril, leaned over, tilted my head and...

...nothing. Nothing came out. I was discouraged at first, kicking myself for giving into a fad. A FAD. But I remembered that Matt told me the first time he used it, it took a little time, because your sinuses are usually swollen up. So I waited some more, adjusting my head a few times when I could feel the solution dripping into my mouth or throat. Finally, after a minute *drip drip drip* a few drips came out of the other nostril! WHAT?!?! After some more time, a slow trickle came out. Once in a while, it burned a little and sometimes it felt the same as when you breathe in pool water, but overall, it felt okay. I switched sides and cleansed the right nostril as well. And there you have it - most clear nasal passages.

AND I DIDN'T DROWN.

I plan on using this product everyday. Just as I would, had I purchased the Magic Bullet.

A joyous sidenote: WELCOME TO THE WORLD, Aiden Robert Jones! I am so proud of my friends, Rob and Jen (especially Jen - you go, mama!) for bringing a child into the world!

Catching Up to Speed

2008-02-11T19:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I had said that I would do my best to be consistent with this blog. I said I needed to catch up the last 2 months until the present so I can move on to more exciting thoughts. And, as we look at the date, I can understand how it may seem that I have already failed at this endeavor.

But I have REASONS...

So, first, shortly after I posted the last blog, I got pretty darn sick. I will chalk it up to a belated Winter Weekend bug. But I was out of commission for a week. Yuck. Not to mention the my nausea was (and is) still as present as ever. Bill and I were also caught up in finishing up our script for program that Casey asked us to do for this past weekend's Regional Leader/Committee Overnight. Yes, we've been sick AND busy. So not fun.

But, as promised, First trimester.

I believe in my last post, I shared that, just 2 days after Thanksgiving, we were greeted on Saturday morning with 2 (faint) pink lines. Bill handled it well, while I was haunted by thoughts of "what have we done." We confirmed the pregnancy that Tuesday with a blood test. It was official: We're Pregnant.

We told our parents, who were very excited. For work purposes, I shared the news with Todd (and Melena), due to our Camp Requests needing to be in that same week. AUGH! Our parents, for the most part, were excited. I think my mom was shocked at first (hey, so were we), but since then has been excited. Shortly after the first week of head spinning, the first bit of nausea set in. "Morning sickness," for me, really means feeling nauseous all day. Luckily, I have not thrown up (I am now at 15 and a half weeks). Smells started bothering me as well. For a while (including Christmas, unfortunately), I was sick as a dog - unable to really eat much (or, having such a selective and sensitive palate, I'd have to wait and see what my body would allow me that day). So much good food to pass up on Christmas!

At 7 weeks, we got an ultrasound, something my doctor does that apparently most doctors do not this early on. I was nervous - I knew it was important that everything was normal and that a heartbeat was found. The lab tech was...cordial, but not terribly comforting. She never said anything apart from the medical blah blah blah, and she didn't even give us a picture. The babykins was just a little spot, but it had quite the quick little heartbeat! So, that was a relief for Bill and I.

I felt bloated most of the First Trimester, but at my 12 week appointment, I had gained 1 or 2 pounds (which, in the scheme of things isn't much), and there was a healthy heartbeat. My pants stopped fitting as well, which didn't do much for my self esteem.

I thought my nausea and heightened sense of smell would have dissapated by now, but it's yet to happen. Some days it is frustrating. I so often have great meals to eat, but can't eat them. I can't wait to get my appetite back - I will take a few days of eating EVERYTHING just to make up for the past 2 months!

I am also hoping I will start to show soon. My tummy looks different to me - but mostly...chubbier, not really pregnant. When I tell people I am going to be 4 months this week, they don't believe me! From what I've read, though, your stomach can "pop" seemingly overnight - one day you wake up and it's there! So, I will keep you updated...

And, yes, I am finally in a place of being excited about the circumstances God has granted me. I am nervous, of course. There are some...huge flaming hoops one has to go through to actually hold a baby in their arms (one big one being...LABOR). And, there are the (normal?) doubts of "Can I do this? Will I be a good mom? Will I be able to handle this?" I'll be looking to get good practice on some of my friends kids who will be born before mine (Jen is due this week!). I love kids - but it's been a while since I've gotten to babysit and change diapers. Satan just has a way of...whispering lies about things which God is already victorious over. I am reminding myself of this.

I also feel more free to be excited because I feel that...at this point, I don't have to give up being a part of this ministry. I don't know what it will look like, but I trust God has this all happening for a reason, and my heart has become excited and passionate for the Work, so I am giving it all to Him! :)

So, that's our Anderson Catch Up. More to come!

...Sick...

2008-01-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

I had promised to write up trimester 1 today. But I'll be honest: I'm sick. I'm somewhat confused, but I was under the impression that "morning" sickness (sidenote: HA to the term "morning" sickness. I've been feeling nauseous ALL DAY for the past 2 months) would decrease around weeks 11 and 12. This is a lie. If anything, my nausea has somehow gotten worse. I'm hoping week 14 will treat me better.

Anyway, apart from my nausea, I have caught whatever cold Bill had last week. He has luckily overcome his illness, as he was diligent about taking Zycam and Airborne. I'm more limited in what I can take, so I just feel like death.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.

A post to follow...

Why not a blog?

2008-01-25T15:03:00.000-05:00

I can't think of how many times I've started journals or blogs to inevitably let them die after several pages or posts. I'm sure most of them start with this same guilty welcome sentance that warns of a doomed destiny.

I hope to prove myself wrong.

I LOVE reading other blogs. When I worked for Chester County CYF (Children, Youth and Families), I LIVED for blogs. In a windowless interior cubical, it was the only reminder of life outside the 8:30-5:00 flourescent lights, phone calls and yellow legal pads. I also used to live for coffee, which has changed in the past 3 months due to my most recent life circumstances, which leads me to my second reason that blogging would be a good thing in my life...

I'm pregnant. A month ago, I was not comfortable letting those words leave my mouth. But, at 13 weeks and the gift of hearing a healthy hearbeat on Wednesday, I feel like it's more okay for me to be excited. Let me also say that this was a VERY unexpected life circumstance. Not that it is not a joyous circumstance, just unexpected. Having just started a new job in ministry and our life direction somewhat in the air, you just don't intend on waking up the Saturday after Thanksgiving to 1 pink line and 1 teensy weensy barely there faint pink line. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Well, it apparently means you are pregnant.

In our first year of marriage, Bill and I have definitely run the gammit of "stuff," usually designed to cause stife to newleyweds (heck, or any married couple). First, we got married, and that is change enough. We are still in the process of learning what is means to live your life with someone, through good bad strong and weak. We also, out of no fault of our own, moved several times, with a total of 4 addresses. And, to complete fault of our own, we got a puppy. Not just any puppy, mind you. A cute but extremely disobedient 4 lb bossy Yorkie.

(Sidenote: I am not a girly girl. So please note that I did NOT buy this dog to emulate any celebutant who tote their pooches in little inscribed purses. My dog does not have a wardrobe as big as mine. We got him due to our desire for a dog and my allergy to dogs - Yorkies are, surprisingly, great for allergy sufferers because they have no dander. End quotation.)

With all that, I also started a new job that has been nothing like the job I had worked at for over 3 years. At the start of my new job, Bill started his student teaching (which, for all intents and purposes IS a full time job). So, it was a crazy year, and a particularly crazy Fall. Add in there moving again and having a positive pregnancy test, we should be certifiably crazy!

But we aren't. :)

We survived, and all props to God on that.

So, why not a blog? I'm sure our lives could contend with those of other interesting people. Plus, I'd like to chronicle these next 6 or 7 months as we get ready for the biggest change of our lives: BABY ANDERSON!

So, maybe starting tomorrow I can give a summary of Months 1-3, so I can catch you up to speed...