Memorial Day 2010

We had a great Memorial Day. The best part was that Josh was home all day and we got to spend the holiday together. W started off our morning with strawberry and blueberry crepes. They turned out pretty well. It made it feel like a special day since we were making crepes. After crepes, we went with our friends on a two mile little walk. It got us nice and hot so we were ready for some swim time. Anna loves looking at her friend Hannah. We refer to her as "the baby" and Anna is ALWAYS dying to see "the baby". They are almost exactly one year apart. It's fun to think that just one year ago, Anna was that size.

This is definitely Anna's favorite part about the pool. She squeals every time.

Since we started our day with strawberries and blueberries, we thought we'd end it the same. We made homemade ice-cream and topped it with the fruit. It was quite delicious! It was a great day all together.

It's a.....

BOY!!!!!!!!!!! We are SO excited. How does that saying go again, "Mom's always right!!" I just knew it was a boy. We absolutely can't wait for him to get here. Anna's going to have a little brother. When the doctor said that it was a boy, Anna started crying. She was really hoping for a sister. So, hopefully she'll be happier when he gets here.
When we called our families, three out of the four brothers asked if we were naming him after them. We got suggestions for a David, Dale, and Bryan. I guess we'll just have to see. Right now, he's going to be Andrew. We've liked that name for a long time now so I guess we'll see if we change our minds in the next twenty weeks.
Josh was so excited that he has a son to take camping on father-son campouts and to play sports with. He won't be outnumbered for long. We just already love this little guy so much. Yay for having a boy!!!

Today is the Day

Today is the day we find out the gender of our baby. My appointment is at 3:00 and we're seriously about to bust!! Josh thinks it's a girl but I just KNOW it's a boy! I guess we'll see who's right soon. We're so excited to have this ultrasound and make sure that everything is going well. I have felt so good this pregnancy that I'm not really worried, just excited. So, if you see this before my doctor's appointment, tell me your guess....BOY or GIRL???

A Great Saturday

We went to the City Gardens today. It was a blast!! They have all of these fountains that the kiddos can play in and we weren't the only ones with this idea today. There were so many kids there but it was great! There were lots of cool sculptures and waterfalls. They had water shooting out of the ground, which was by far the best part. It was also right in downtown so the scenery was great.

We couldn't quite figure this out. We think it was a stop/walk sign just blown up. We kind of thought, um,....waste of MONEY!! The figures were walking in slow motion, so at least it was entertaining.

It actually took Anna a while to warm up to the fountains. She was pretty scared at first but she got the hang of things. By the end, I think she had a pretty good time.

Doesn't she look like Miss Hollywood!

Great view, huh?

This was a crazy sculpture. You could actually climb inside and look out the eyes but Anna was ready to go so this was the best we got. We had a really good time. We also went swimming for the first time this year after Anna's nap. She was in HEAVEN!! She absolutely loved it. The pool felt great too! It's been a great Saturday.

She's All Grown Up

My baby girl is all grown up and is a big girl now. This morning, I was eating my cereal with Anna on my lap and she was playing with the squares of my cinnamon toast crunch. She dipped them in the milk, then licked the milk off and threw the wet cereal on the ground. By the time I finished my bowl, she was quite happy. So, I got up and let her sit there by herself. As I was cleaning the kitchen, I looked over and realized, my baby isn't such a baby anymore. It was one of those moments that I'll never forget. Even though she was only eating cereal, it just seemed like she has come so far. Just one year ago, she was so helpless. Now, she can sit in a big chair, feed herself, and be perfectly content.
Being a mom has totally changed my life. I never thought it would be SO rewarding. These past few months, we've had our share of "learning experiences" and some of them have been really, really hard. I feel like as parents, we've come far too. We now know how she needs to be loved and how she needs to be disciplined, and it truly has made all the difference. I have really had to make myself in tune to what is going on in her head. We've taught her a little sign language too. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY!! I would definitely recommend it. She tells us what she needs all the time by signing it, even though she can't quite say it yet. We've really been blessed with a sweet, funny, strong willed little angel. She has brought us more joy than we thought was even possible. We just love our little Anna girl.

Doesn't she look little in that big chair?

Swim Time

It is H-O-T here in St. Louis so Anna and I seized the day. We have a little inflatable pool in our backyard, so I filled it with water and popped her in! She absolutely loved every second of it. I think she splashed her feet the entire time she was in there. I had to take her out after about 30 minutes because it was past nap time and while I was getting her some milk, she kept running to the door, looking outside and begging to go back. I think this will probably turn into an everyday activity. It was fun to see her so happy.

Grant's Farm

Josh and I took Anna to the petting zoo again yesterday. We had SO much fun. Anna loved waving at the cows and the buffalo as we rode by them on the tram. We bought a milk bottle for a dollar and let Anna feed the baby goats. They licked her toes and nudged her tummy and she laughed hysterically. I think that was probably her favorite part. We also got to feed the camels. She seemed to just be in heaven. It was a really nice day too! Enjoy the pictures!!