You Can't Photoshop That!

Sweet Anderson had his 1 year old pictures taken on Tuesday! I am more than pleased with the outcome and cannot wait to order and get them here! His blue eyes still mystify me....a trait he gets from his daddy :)

Here is a link to a post about his shoot that has a few pictures:

http://www.youcantphotoshopthat.blogspot.com/2009/09/asoneyearpictures.html

If you have a bit more time you can see them all here: click on galleries and look for Anderson!

http://www.sillygoosephotography.smugmug.com/

We can't forget to wish my momma a happy birthday! Happy Birthday Momma!

Chore Boy.

Who knew that blogging could make you feel so good? I received such sweet comments about my smocking project and they all just made me smile...I know some of the BEST blog commenter's ever! How does it all get done?.....chore boy!!...(PS: these are blackberry shots)...

Why walk behind the push toy when you have a vacuum?

Always willing to help with the dishes!
Just a little light dusting to be done...


Yes, those are my flip flops he put in the dryer!

In all seriousness, I do not have it all together as the previous blog post might have made it out to be. What I did not tell you was that that dinosaur project took 2 months and I had A LOT of coaching from Katy! On a daily basis, I too feel like I cannot keep up with everything that needs to be done and truth be told it just doesn't! Brad is great about helping out, even though I do not tell him enough, and I do have help every other week with house cleaning. When I went back to work 2 days a week we decided to do that so that neither one of us had to spend our weekends cleaning all the time. Maintenance alone between cleanings just about does me in. School started back a few weeks ago and it is plucking on my last nerve. I have 2 excellent elementary schools that are connected by a breezeway with an office/treatment room. That means I do not have to travel and carry my supplies from school to school--both scenarios have positives and negatives. I have had technology issue after technology issue and cannot, for the life of me, get into a program I need desperately to do my documentation and write new OT goals for upcoming IEP's. I love technology and just recently I was talking on my home phone, uploading pictures to blogger, and checking my email on my blackberry all at once! And I frequently line up our babysitter via text! When things go sour with it, forget it, I am lost big time. My caseload is absolutely out of control with too many children to see and not enough time to get done what needs to be done in a day. The kids are great, albeit some are challenging, but that comes with the job. When I left last Thursday afternoon, I thought seriously that maybe I just need to put in my notice and be done with it--it is not worth the hassle when I could be at home in my pj's with Anderson playing peek-a-boo and cracking him up. On the short 3 minute ride home I remembered why I love being an OT and could not possibly just give up that easily---however tempting at the time! I might as well mention that I also have not had a haircut since my sister got married in May and my toes look like they got caught up in a piece of heavy machinery! Sorry to disappoint...I have no secrets to share, and I assure you I struggle too....you just don't see it on the blog!

Smocking 201.

After success with the smocked geometric designs, I decided to tackle picture smocking with the go ahead from my patient teacher who thinks I am doing great for a beginner! It took me a while and several trips for some help getting started with reading the patterns, making the stitches go the way they needed to go, and then finally learning to turn the garment upside down to do the cable stitches on top of each other. Then just as I thought I was finished, the pleats were popping out of line after the guidelines were taken out and I was told I then needed to do this thing called backsmock to keep the pleats in line. I thought backsmocking was certainly something that I would never be able to do. Thankfully, all it meant was do a few rows of cable stitches on the back of the insert! After 5 rows of backsmocking, at last, it was completed! The dinosaurs are not perfect---but I am getting there!!

Anderson wore it to church a few weeks ago and after the service we were invited to lunch by a fellow church member to one of the clubs around. VERY nice invitation, but my plan was to get him home and out of the outfit before eating lunch! I was paranoid the entire time that he was going to get something on it and it was going to be stained/ruined! That did not happen, but I sure was sweating it!

Tuesdays With Big Daddy.

On Tuesday, the retired guy (Big Daddy) came down to spend the day with us! We enjoyed the pool--really, pool does not give this place justice all all. A place with a huge playground, splash park, lakefront beach, lazy river, etc..can hardly be called a pool. But anyway, we are fortunate to be able to go on a weekly basis and love doing so! I have learned that my Blackberry takes just as good of pictures as my point and shoot does and is quicker too--I have been spoiled horribly with my Nikon, but it is too risky to whip it out near large bodies of water. All the below are Blackberry shots!

An attempt at a swimming lesson!

Of course the shower is more entertaining!

Big Daddy & Anderson's buddy Harper


First taste of watermelon--the child ate his weight in it!

Even though we might not get every Tuesday with Big Daddy, we were sure glad he came this one! I got to sit down and eat my lunch and Big Daddy entertained him most of the time (NICE!). I also was able to go to the grocery alone while daddy stayed home with him after we got back from the pool! It's the simple pleasures.

The Nona and Granddaddy Show!

Brad's mom and dad came down from the upstate to help Anderson celebrate his birthday weekend! In the 10ish years that I have know Tap (Brad's dad) he has mostly been the all business type w/ a great personality (I mean this in a good way!). I had NO idea that he would turn into quite the comic and silly guy when he plays with Anderson and it is hysterical. Anderson gets the biggest kick out of him and just belly giggles. Kathy (Brad's mom) can hardly contain her laughter and along with Brad and I enjoy watching the show :)

Love this face!

With his da (we can't get dada)!

I could not resist--I feel like I am always behind the camera!

Singing to Anderson!

Is this guy for real?

Here they are making the grand exit! All part of the show----they have the top down at the beach! Actually, that they have a convertible at all is fantastic and I something I never expected! Next time I am going to see if they will let their favorite daughter-in-law take it for a spin (oh, and Brad is an only child!) Details, details :)

Forever Young.

I took Anderson for his 1 year old well visit on Thursday afternoon! All is well and it was noted in his chart that he is quote a "healthy boy!"!! He weighed in at 20lbs 2oz (10-25%), height 29" (25%), and head circumference 18 1/2" (50-75%). I really thought that his height % was going to be higher b/c I feel that I have noticed more that he is taller. My friend Katy stopped by when she was running errands on this side of the county earlier today and she even said that is what stuck out for her from the last time she saw Anderson. Nonetheless, he is perfect to me! He is very busy these days and crawls at lightening fast speed. He still has not taken that first step yet but his static standing balance is great, he bends his knees to crouch instead of plopping, he can bend and twist while standing, and his balance when walking behind the chomp and clack push toy is great too. When he finally gets up the courage to put one foot in front of the other there will not be much of a learning curve I am afraid :) His toys are more and more entertaining to him and he will play with them for longer periods of time. He likes to push buttons, will push a ball back and forth with me, gives high-fives, and pushes toys with wheels across the floor the correct way! He is not drinking from the bottle at all and now drinks milk and all his water/juice from his sippy cup. The boy loves to eat and has had all sorts of new things the past week. He is also enjoying car rides in a whole new way...

I had intended on keeping him rear facing as long as possible, and it turns out that a year was all I was going to get. He was running out of space so we made the switch. He really likes to ride and when I look in the rear view mirror he is just looking out the window most of the time.

My favorite part is that his little personality is really starting to show through. He does have his moments, but most of the time you will catch him smiling :) It is so much fun to play with him and introduce him to new things. He is learning so much so quick I have taken some recent advice (Kelly, you leave some of the best comments!) and have tried to focus more on the firsts. After all, he won't be young forever!

I also made a trip to the MD this week and I am happy to report that my foot is completely healed and the orthopaedic surgeon said I do not have to wear the post-op shoe anymore! That was music to my ears. That thing was seriously starting to irritate me! Only restrictions now are no running (um, not a problem b/c it is doubtful you would catch me doing that anyway!) and no high impact sports like tennis for a month. He did mention, with a smile, that I should still need help w/ cooking, cleaning, and childcare. I would settle for a pedicure :)

Do the Cake and Ice Cream!

Anderson got a birthday card with music that summed it all up for me..."smoosh the cake, eat the cake, and get it in your hair! Get it on the the birthday outfit momma made you wear!" The song goes on about make sure you grab more and this is what birthdays are for, but it was pretty spot on for the day. I dressed him in his smocked birthday jon-jon which, of course, had to be washed in the afternoon b/c he had a huge blow-out that got everywhere and required changing his clothes and the his crib linens too! I seriously thought that something like that just had to happen so I was already half expecting it! I had fun decorating his chair, found a great birthday hat, and pulled out the special birthday bib for the big day. My friend Jennifer, that I work with, made him an adorable smash cake (last minute I must add). Luckily, she was already making cakes for another friend of mine so she was able to whip something up from the extra stuff she had! And I must add, I gave her no direction at all and only told her to make it boyish...she did a fantastic job! We had a small family party on Saturday afternoon with hamburgers and then it was cake and ice cream time--my personal favorite part! All I wanted for him was for him to destroy the cake and get messy which he did :) Just a warning that there are quite a few pictures...

In the chair that Brad sat in at his grandparent's house as a child

The birthday chair!

The smash cake!

The cake from Signe's for the rest of us, although we snacked on the smash cake too!

The bib!

The hat!

Opening his presents!

He finally got the hang of it!

Almost birthday cake time!

He did eat quite a bit of the cake!

My messy 1 year old!