I don't want to forget...

- You know how to say please and thank you and do it without being asked. I love that you're polite.

- You are almost always kind to people in stores or restaurants when they smile at you or talk to you. You will even give a courtesy laugh sometimes.

- You love books and when you want someone to read to you: you will grab a book, turn your back to them, start backing up towards them and then do a booty drop and hand them the book.

- Whenever you are looking at books by yourself you ALWAYS have them upside down. When we try to correct it you just turn it back to the way you had it.

- You love Vegitales and every time you hear the theme song to it you'll stop what you're going and go dance in front of the TV.

- You pop up like a prairie dog and smile in your crib whenever someone walks into your room after a nap or nights sleep.

- "Snuggling" to you means either sitting and allowing us to hold you for a few seconds, or smiling and putting your head on something.

- You're all about sharing right now (at least it seems) and you will go and find random things that seem important to you and bring them to people (trashcans, laundry baskets, full water cups left on the floor, underwear, books...)

- You know when something is out of  place and you will call me out on it to fix it or just do it yourself. Like closing the basement door so you don't fall down the stairs, or shutting the baby gate to the stairs.

A new cousin!

As of yesterday afternoon, you now have another cousin!! You are now one of 5 cousins... and soon to be 6 (Aunt Stephanie is due next year)! His name is Stuart Graham (named after the man who married your Aunt Anna and uncle John, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Blake, and your daddy and I). And, he is now the 4th boy cousin... how fun!

We all get to go and meet him in January, and we can't wait! It will be so strange to see you next to such a tiny little baby since I feel like I still see you like that sometimes.

Congrats Andersons-- we love you all and are so proud to be a part of this family!

Your first word!

... is ball. I can say that in confidence becasue you only say it when you see one.  It sounds more like "BA!" or sometimes "BOL?" I'm not surprised this is your first word either--balls are your absolute favorite toy ever. They are what you get the most excited to play with... and the thing that you never get bored of.

I'm excited for more words... you talk a lot and always have so much to say, but the only word that we can understand so far is ball. Keep trying though buds, I have a feeling that very soon you'll be talking our ears off--and we can't wait!

Christmas 2010

Here is this years Christmas card that your Amazing dad made. It blows my mind to see how much you have grown just since last year. *sigh*

Your new routine

Since you were teeny-tiny you have been used to getting a bottle in a dark room and then going to bed. So, when your doctor said that I needed to be weening you from formula and your bottle I thought it was going to be more than traumatic. But, as always, you adjusted just fine. It took us a couple weeks to implement new routines and a new bedtime beverage... but you got it. Like a champ you got it. We are so proud.

So now your bedtime routine is to go pick 2 books out of your book bin and either daddy or I will read them to you while you gulp down some milk. Then we brush your teeth and off to bed you go. I just can't get over how big you are. It's crazy to me how much you have changed in just a year. I love it so much, but some days I wish that you would slow down a little so I can soak up more of you being a baby.

I wish this picture wasn't so blurry. It's such a sweet one of you and daddy. He's usually the one who puts you down at night... so I love that I captured this. Sweet dreams tonight buds. We love you so much.

2010 Ornament

Your dad and I have decided that every year we're going to get you an ornament so that by the time you're ready to move out... you will have ornaments for your own tree, as well as some fun memories to go along with them.

This year we decided to get you a Rex (from Toy Story) ornament. He's not only from one of our favorite movies that we hope you love one day, he also reminds us of you. Strong and loud on the outside, but tender and sweet on the inside. We also liked him becasue we found him down in Florida and have such fun memories of our family reunion down there. Notice the amazing Mickey ears he's wearing and how he's eating a Mickey ice cream popsicle.

Tractors, trees and tempers...

We have started a family tradition that the day after Thanksgiving we go and get our Christmas tree. We make the treck up to Indiana and watch as Daddy cuts it down. It was fun watching you run around looking at everything, and it blew my mind thinking back to last year and how tiny you were. You're getting big so fast.

This year was fun, but it was so cold that we were all a little bit miserable... and you were definitely trying to get your point across that you were ready to be somewhere warm. We couldn't blame you though. It was freezing and then taking a freezing tractor ride made it feel like we were in the North Pole. Thankfully we were able to get a few good pictures of you smiling... because that's what I want to remember.

Seeing a big Christmas tree and getting excited that we are going to get to take one home.

 

 You were so sweet touching the ornaments on the tree.

Getting to ride on a big tractor seemed like a lot of fun...

 

... until it started to move and we all froze. Daddy held you in your 

blanket as tight as you would let him...

 Then you came over to see me. But it was cold on my side, too. Sorry buds.

Helping us find the perfect tree. You were such a big helper!

We found it!! Pretty perfect...

You and Daddy right before you cut it down.

 Then we got to go home and decorate it. You were so happy to be in warm clothes and to be surrounded by a bunch of balls-- your favorite thing EVER.