Our Life

Sledding

2009-12-20T09:05:00.001-06:00

Early Christmas

2009-12-20T09:04:00.001-06:00

California Trip

2009-12-20T09:03:00.000-06:00

Another trip to the lake

2009-09-18T12:11:00.001-05:00

Labor Day Weekend '09

2009-09-08T09:16:00.001-05:00

Andrew gets a big Cars book, what fun!

2009-09-08T09:02:00.002-05:00

Andrew got an early Christmas present (or a just for fun present) from his Nonna in Mississippi. Andrew sure loves to get gifts and thought it was his birthday, haha. He was wondering where the cake was.

Nelson's 40th Birthday Party

2009-08-30T21:33:00.003-05:00

Nelson's Birthday Bash! What a great time.

An August Picture Update

2009-08-23T21:57:00.001-05:00

2009-08-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

2009-07-29T20:01:00.002-05:00

2009-07-29T19:45:00.002-05:00

Rolling

2009-07-29T17:57:00.004-05:00

On Andrew's field trip to Reiman Gardens he mastered rolling down the hill, with a hat on even!

2009-07-29T16:56:00.005-05:00

Andrew at the 4th of July concert, eating cotton candy for the first time. He loves it!

2009-07-29T16:56:00.001-05:00

2009-07-18T20:43:00.001-05:00

2009-07-17T20:42:00.002-05:00

2009-07-05T20:15:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from 4th of July. Unfortunatley it was raining during the parade so I didn't bring my camera. Andrew had a blast at the parade getting candy and watching the firetrucks, band, and tractors. We went to two music shows in the afternoon and had a blast. It was quite chilly in the evening and we had to drag out our sweatshirts and pants - could it really be July?

2009-07-03T21:00:00.001-05:00

We went to Brushy Creek today since we all had the day off for 4th of July weekend. We had a great time. Andrew actually stayed in the boat for an hour without complaint, which was great. He even did a little fishing but got frustrated when no fish came to get his bait - takes after his momma. THen we went to the beach to build sandcastles and play in the mud. Even though the water was in the low 70's Andrew went right in - he is such a little fish. Nelson and I tried to stay out....brrrrrr

A trip to the waterpark.

2009-06-27T20:27:00.001-05:00

2009-06-21T09:23:00.002-05:00

We had a great weekend. Andrew and I picked strawberries in Nevada. He picked and ate all of his leaving me to pick the ones to bring home. He had a great time and wants to go back. I am sure his belly was full when we left the farm. We also went swimming in the afternoon. He had a blast but I don't have too many pictures as Nelson was unable to make it, so I couldn't follow him in the pool and hold the camera. He was really brave and wanted to walk by himself in the deep water. ONce I put his water wings on he was floating all over the place and kicking his legs. He will be swimming in no time;)

2009-06-13T21:43:00.001-05:00

We have had a busy weekend. Friday night we went bowling at the new place that opened in Ames. Andrew had a great time and they even had bowling shoes that fit him. Today Andrew and I went to the zoo and despite the chilly, rainy weather, we had a blast.

2009-06-13T16:48:00.002-05:00

Andrew's first time riding his bike using his pedals.

2009-06-12T14:31:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been awhile since my last post - things have been kind of busy. Andrew and I went to Mississippi and Louisiana for a visit in the middle of May and we had a great time!
We have been busy here in Ames, hopeing for nice weather, however we just gotten a lot of cool weather and lots of rain.
Andrew learned how to pedal his bike last weekend, will post video soon. He is also a little monkey now, dangerously climbing on everything.

2009-05-04T20:29:00.002-05:00

A fun weekend

2009-04-20T21:45:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T18:47:00.001-05:00

We had a great easter......easter baskets, church, playing, nap, egg hunt, egg dying and lots of playing and sugar.

2009-04-05T10:34:00.002-05:00

2009-04-05T10:32:00.001-05:00

2009-03-29T21:12:00.002-05:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Andrew!

2009-03-29T20:52:00.002-05:00

Birthday Celebrations.
After 3 days of celebrating we are exhausted!
On Friday Andrew celebrated with his friends at school, on Saturday we had a mini party since it was his real bday and then today we had friends over to celebrate. Tons of fun and Andrew loved every minute!

2009-03-21T20:25:00.001-05:00

What a great weekend so far.
Andrew and I took the bus to the mall for a cookie and to ride on the little choo choo train. Then we got back on the bus and went to the park. It was so beautiful outside that we called Nelson to bring us a picnic lunch so that we could enjoy being outside a little more. In the afternoon our neighbors invited us over to BBQ and Andrew had a blast with their kids. We ended the day by playing in the sand box in the backyard. I think we are all exhausted.

Zoo Trip

2009-03-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

Nelson took Andrew to the zoo today with friends. It couldn't have been a prettier day. His favorite thing was feeding the animals, the goats and the alpacas. The zoo was followed by a trip to McD's, yummy:)

A March warm-up - Spring here we come!

2009-03-16T19:45:00.001-05:00

Andrew had a great weekend! The weather warmed up and we were able to ride the bus to the park and to the coffee shop for a cookie. We had a great time. On Monday the weather was great too, so we went to the park again and played in the mud in the backyard. We also went to Backyard Adventures in Urbandale. They sell play equipment but have an area where you can try it all out, it was great. After we ate lunch at a diner and Andrew had a milkshake that they poured into a cup on his head, it was certainly the highlight of the trip.

2009-03-07T09:16:00.002-06:00

2009-03-07T09:14:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it is March already! Where did February go?

Things have been pretty busy here. Andrew has been enjoying going outside on our few warm days. The snow is all melted and hopefully we won't have anymore, we can but hope.

Happy VDay!

2009-02-14T20:04:00.002-06:00

What a great day we all had. The day started very early! Andrew woke up at 4am , went back to bed for a little while and then woke up for good at 5am. We started the morning with blueberry pancakes, Andrew's favorite and then opened our Vday candy and ate some chocolate. Who could ask for a better start to the day!
We played for awhile, Andrew went outside and shoveled snow with Nelson. Then Andrew and I went to Kindermusik class which was tons of fun. After naptime we headed to the big city...Des Moines to get Andrew new shoes. We all ate at Jason's Deli which was a great choice as we were in an out in no time.
Andrew has been a character this week and has been letting it be known what he wants. We have had some interesting mornings getting dressed...but somehow we do make it out the door. Andrew told us yesterday, "Andrew like snow". He is starting to refer to himself by his name. We are really in to train books right now, reading them before bed and right after waking up in the morning. I love it, reading is very relaxing!
I will post pictures soon.

2009-02-08T19:43:00.002-06:00

It has been a great weekend here, it hit 50 degrees yesterday. We enjoyed several hours outside in the slushy melting snow, lots of puddles to jump in!
Today Andrew and I rode to the library on the bus. Andrew gets so excited to get on the bus and talked about it all day until we went. Once we were at the library we looked at books for a little while but then he was anxious to get back on the bus to go home.

A new experience

2009-02-06T19:25:00.003-06:00

We took Andrew to India Palace to try Indian food tonight. He loved the naan bread dipped in yogurt...yummy....
He has had a great week and even got to go outside and roll in the snow today in the morning and afternoon. We could tell he was able to go out as he was exhauted tonight.
We recently purchased two new train books and Andrew hasn't wanted to read anything else since, we are always talking about them.
When I pulled into the driveway tonight Andrew saw Nelson's truck and said "Daddy's home", it was so cute.
I will be posting more pictures soon.

2009-02-01T17:49:00.002-06:00

Heatwave!

2009-01-31T19:29:00.003-06:00

On the last day of January we couldn't have asked for a better day, the sun was shinning, the wind was minimal and the temperature was above 40 degress, who could ask for more (okay, so 70 degrees would be nice....). We started the day off by going to Kindermusik class, which is a big hit with Andrew. In fact he wants to go so much that we can't tell him in advance that we are going or he will be very upset. He enjoyed the music but also watching the other little kids in the class. He likes to copy the other kids, especially when they are doing something they aren't supposed to. After a trip by the vet school we went home for lunch and a nap. After nap time we spent an hour and a half outside riding bikes, building a snowman, throwing snowballs at daddy, and jumping in the melting snow. It was so refreshing to be outside! To finish a great day we went to my favorite restaruant for dinner, The Cafe. Andrew ate like a little piggy, a whole quesadilla, honeydew melon, chips and a cookie for dessert. He was still asking for more chips when we left. He should have popped given all that he ate!

An interesting week

2009-01-24T19:35:00.003-06:00

What a week it has been. Nelson and I took our first trip skiing, it's about time since this is our 4th winter in Iowa. We had a great time. We were only on the bunny slope about 45 minutes then went on to the beginner slope. We have a lot of funny memories of the day - me doing the splits in front of the ski lift...Nelson uncontrollable going down the hill.....some we will just keep to ourselves :)

Andrew has had a rough week, another cold and runny nose. He has been up a lot at night coughing. Even though the days have been a bit rough due to his sickness, he keeps us rolling. Today we went to his first Kindermusik class. He enjoyed barking and rolling on the ground, dancing, singing, and using musical instruments. It was a lot of fun. I hope to take some pictures in our next class.

Here are some of the pictures from our first ski adventure.

2009-01-20T20:38:00.000-06:00

I told Andrew "Andrew you are a silly boy!"
Andrew laughed and then said "Mama, you are a silly girl (said gurl)"

too cute not to share

Another Winter Weekend

2009-01-18T19:27:00.008-06:00

We went sledding again this weekend. Andrew decided that he would give it another try, but only if we both went down the hill with him, me up front and Nelson in the back. We had a great time until I got a facefull of snow, now I know why he didn't want to go again last week, it was freezing! We did a lot this weekend.....sledding, walmart, a trip to the mall to ride on the train and eat a pretzel, and a fun time at a clown show at the library.

Andrews words are growing, here are a few things he has said:

"I reach it"
"I did it"
"I want it"
"pet it" (referring to Pumpkin)
"I sing", "I dance", "I fall"
"me seat"
"Shu Shu" for Sugar Bear

He is also trying to put his own clothes on which can lead to frustrated crying but is fun to watch nonetheless.

Sledding

2009-01-11T12:28:00.003-06:00

We have gotten a lot of snow this weekend. Andrew enjoyed going out and shoveling with Nelson. We also went to a hill by our house to really try out our new sled. On the first trip down the hill Andrew got snow in his face and after that preferred to just watch us. Nelson and I had a blast. Boy was it a workout going up that hill again and again. Can't wait to go again, hopefully this time wasn't too traumatic for Andrew and he will give it another try.

2009-01-08T20:09:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I was gently reminded by someone today (you know who you are ;)) that I haven't updated pictures in quite awhile. We had a wonderful xmas vacation in Louisiana and Mississippi. Andrew had a great time visiting with his grandparents and his cousins. The trip flew by and I can't believe it is over already, we looked forward to it for so long.

We had a few beautiful days where it hit 80 degress, wow, we were actually complaining that it was hot (well not really complaining but thinking we should have brought some shorts and also thinking how thankful we were to thaw out from cold Iowa).

Andrew started talking even more during our trip, mostly to tell us what he didn't want, ha, the two's have hit early. His sentences sounded something like....no..I don't want.....cereal or cars or to brush my teeth....or really anything that you specifically ask him if he wants. We enjoyed several park trips, one with Andrew's cousins. Nelson and I even got to go to the movies....now that was a treat. At my parent's house in Mississippi Andrew's cousin Matthew showed him how everything should be done. He liked to hold his hand on the way to feed the horses apples or hold his hand as he tried to "help" Andrew down the stairs. Matthew called Andrew "his little buddy", very cute.

Other important events:

1. Andrew sleeping in until 7am

2. Andrew petting Pumpkin nicely (instead of wacking him with a toy)

3. Andrew calling Nelson - ELSON, where are you?

4. Andrew figuring out that we are at his beck and call - he says he wants juice, you get it, then he wants milk, quite the little manipulator

5. Andrew knowing that you are eating chocolate and demanding to have some...(darn the days of sneaking are officially over or i guess the sneaking is just beginning)

Visiting in Louisiana

Visiting in Mississippi

Marching

2008-11-28T14:48:00.002-06:00

A video of Andrew while we were watching the Thanksgiving Day parade.

Trip to the Science Center in Des Moines

2008-11-28T14:31:00.006-06:00

Today we went to The Science Center. Andrew really enjoyed it all. He saw and built robots, saw snakes, shopped for vegetables, made bubbles and enjoyed looking around. We had a great time. There was so much to do and see, too much for one day.

November 23, 2008

2008-11-23T19:31:00.003-06:00

Today warmed up to almost 50 degrees, the snow melted so we headed outside. We had a good time with Andrew.

I took Andrew to a kids play place in Ankeny - he had a blast. My camera is malfunctioning so sorry for the lack of picture quality.

Eating left over Halloween candy.

Playing with his friend Declan - they are good buddies.

Daddy and Andrew in the box.

November has been a very busy month for us. Andrew now can speak over 50 words and he is still in the "no" phase, sometimes it is funny and other times frustrating.

He loves to sing and dance, play blocks and spends endless hours playing with his cars (of course we play too). I was out of town for a meeting for an entire week - Andrew and Nelson had good quality bonding time. Luckily Andrew didn't give me the cold shoulder when I got back, much to my relief.

We are now able to take Andrew out to different places which is fun. Friday night he enjoyed Japenese for the first time with some vegetarian sushi. He has play sushi with is kitchen stuff so it was fun to see him eat the real thing.

We are looking forward to the holidays. We won't be going home for Thanksgiving but will for Christmas, only a few weeks away!

The fall is official here (or is it winter??? it feels like it!)

2008-10-25T20:13:00.005-05:00

Look at that cute boy with his mittens on.Hmmm.....what's happening over there???

I think this is the funniest picture!

Eating candy corn at the Halloween Party.

Fun times!

Awwww.....

Andrew's first pony ride.

Well, fall is official here. The leaves are falling off the trees, the wind is blowing, and it is dark when we wake up and practically dark when we come home...which can only mean one thing, winter is around the corner. Andrew seems to be enjoying it though, he likes to jump in the leaves, have them dropped on his head and shove them in his pockets. We have had a lot of rain so we have been indoors a lot (just a little taste of the days to come.....oh boy). Andrew has been enjoying his new mittens and refused to take them off for the whole evening. He is saying new words everyday and copies us like crazy (the funniest is that he calls Pumpkin, Bad Cat....now I wonder where he gets that from).

This weekend Andrew made it all the way around the block on his trike, what an accomplishment for those little legs. It was cold and windy and we were freezing but Andrew didn't seem to have a care in the world.....kids...

Today Andrew and I took a trip to a pumpkin patch with the moms group that I joined. It was a lot of fun, he had a great time with the other kids too. He took is first pony ride and he seemed to really like it, although the picture says differently - he did have a good time. He liked "clucking" at the turkeys and mooing at the goats. Oh, he also has a new found love of candy corn (must take after his mom).

A September post in October

2008-10-11T20:34:00.004-05:00

At the Boone parade -boy he loved the beads.At the train depot in Boone. He got this new train and we watched several trains leave the depot. Do you see this face????? Do you think that he knows he is doing something wrong???

The cutest little boy.

Care for one??

I realize it has been a whole month since I have posted - sorry - Andrew has been more interesting than ever (and more tiring:))

It was a great month. We enjoyed a lot of outside activities and played hard. Andrew has really taken off with his vocabulary this month and also signing what he wants.

After out trip to Dubuque he played with his new cars for about two weeks straight - hardly played with anything else. I was worried that we might be stunting his growth, but he soon tired of them and was on to other things, guess it was just a phase.

He is quite a character, always laughing. The funniest is when he tries to tickle himself, I need to get a video of that. Nelson and I love to listen to him in his room during the night or in the morning when we hear him rocking his stuffed animals and saying to them "shhh...shhh.." trying to put them to sleep.

It has also be a month of trials - Andrew wanting what he wants, when he wants it. At times it makes you want to pull your hair out. I must repeat many times to myself "I am in control. I am in control." , all the while knowing that I'm not. With the trials comes great joy, thank god.

Dubuque, Iowa - Labor Day Weekend

2008-08-31T20:20:00.009-05:00

We went for two days to Dubuque, Iowa to a resort and waterpark. We had a great time with our friends. Andrew really enjoyed playing with Gavin and Garrett. He also enjoyed the waterpark and loved going down the slides with Daddy, what an adventerous little boy. We also went to a beautiful park overlooking the Mississippi River and then a trip to the Mississippi River Museum (which was awesome, and we will be back!). Andrew said very clearly "alligator", we were very impressed. We had such a wonderful time and can't wait for our next trip back there.

Having fun at Burger King

Jumping on the bed at the hotel

Andrew doesn't know it is vacation and he is supposed to sleep in. We are up early and after breakfast take a walk along the Riverwalk.Ready to start the day....

At the Eagle Point Park

Me and Rachel - I wish we lived closer!
Andrew and Garrett were funny together on the slide.

Andrew taking in the view.

Andrew going down the water slide with daddy.

The water park - so nice that it was inside - no sunblock needed.

The Mississippi River Museum

Playing on the beds in the steamboat

Hey everyone! look what I see!

Walking down to see the water.

Our last morning to play - we look at the artwork outside the resort. Taking a walk with Mommy.

Andrew singing

2008-08-25T19:42:00.002-05:00

Andrew loves to sing!

Andrew's Favorite - pancakes!

2008-08-17T19:46:00.007-05:00

As you can tell by these vidoes, it is all about food at our house:)

July update

2008-07-31T19:41:00.003-05:00

PawPaw at the park

Nana and Andrew read the ladybug book.

Mmmm....this sandwich is good!

A trip to the lake.

The Story County Fair
A trip to the park
More fair pictures - eating of course.
Andrew's big Tonka truck from Nana and Papa
Nana swing Andrew

Sorry for the long blogging break, things have been very busy here. We are trying to enjoy the last part of summer - not looking forward to the days of cold and snow again. This month my (alicia's) parents came to Iowa to visit for a week. We had a blast going to the zoo, the fair, every park in Ames and all kinds of other fun things. Andrew had a great time with them, learning new things and taking in all the fun things that we did. He is seems to be growing so fast now and has many new words, but has even more expressions. His favorite activity is still riding on the bike with Nelson, we even ride in 98 degree weather - Andrew enjoys it and we profusely sweat, what a life! We went swimming this past weekend and I will post pictures soon.

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-08T20:20:00.004-05:00

Putting lotion on, just like mom and dad do.

4th of July

We go to a free pancake breakfast and Andrew loves the pancakes!

Look at this picture below - that was a year ago, how much Andrew has grown!Let's eat!
Watching the 4th of July parade.
The evening in the park listening to a band and playing around.

Let's ride daddy!

Andrew after an afternoon of swimming at a surprise bday party.

Aunt Stacey and Matthew come to visit!

2008-06-25T20:12:00.008-05:00

Andrew and Matthew play outside.
Matthew was excited to see Andrew, Andrew didn't know what was going on when Matthew came to daycare to pick him up. Matthew wanted to hold Andrew's hand and lead him around, of course that didn't go well...
Craft time.....making paper plate shakers.

A day at the Des Moines zoo. We all had a great time and the weather was beautiful. We rode the train and went to the elephant show. Andrew liked to woof woof at everything.

We spent an afternoon at the lake. Surprisingly both boys loved the water and couldn't get enough.

Picnicking at park.

2008-06-13T13:38:00.003-05:00

A trip to Ada Hayden - Andrew really wanted to go further in...it was chilly water...

Andrew eating his sub sandwich just like daddy - taking big bites.

2008-05-31T20:42:00.002-05:00

2008-05-31T20:28:00.002-05:00

Andrew goes to the pool.

2008-05-17T20:43:00.002-05:00

Taking a ride.

2008-05-17T20:25:00.002-05:00

2008-05-17T20:14:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day Breakfast - mmmm...waffles

Woof...woof...a book about dogs

He looks thrilled.....even though this picture doesn't look like it he was crying to get in the stroller.

Mr. Toolman

Andrew coloring at his new table.

2008-05-04T20:46:00.001-05:00

We took Andrew swimming today. At first he wasn't so sure but then he enjoyed splashing in the water and floating. We spent the rest of the day outside, either at the park or playing in the backyard, lots of fun!

2008-05-04T20:40:00.001-05:00

These are pictures from last weekend. Andrew enjoys being outside and eating dirt either out of the flower pots or sand out of his sandbox, what a silly boy!

Videos from the Weekend

2008-04-21T08:23:00.003-05:00

2008-04-18T16:28:00.002-05:00

Be prepared to laugh. Last weekend Andrew decided that he wanted to blindfold himself and kept putting the armchair cover over his face and walking around - he would giggle as he went. Please don't mind me laid out on the couch, I had a stomach bug...ugh.

April 18, 2008

2008-04-18T16:23:00.003-05:00

Another posting break...sorry....last weekend Nelson and I were both sick and things have been crazy since then.
Since Andrew's first birthday the weather has started to warm up and Andrew loves to outside. It is amazing how fast he can pop a rock into his mouth and we have to keep a close eye on him. He also loves his new playroom that we created for him upstairs, but even more fun is walking up and down the stairs. He new thing is to fake laugh, which is hilarious!

Andrew turns 1!

2008-04-01T09:42:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Andrew!
What a year it has been! Andrew is walking, almost running around the house now. He likes to point at everything, drink from a real cup, brush his teeth, chase the cats, read books, play with blocks, eat (pretty much everything), cuddle, babble, wave byebye.....the list goes on and on. He seems to learn something new everyday.

We love you Andrew! Happy 1st Birthday!

HAPPY EASTER

2008-03-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter!

Andrew enjoyed his easter basket.

Andrew Walks - Check it out!

2008-03-19T19:36:00.004-05:00

2008-03-17T16:36:00.002-05:00

Hi All!

It has been awhile since I have posted...several things have happened 1. I was out of town for a week and 2. I dropped my laptop and it is broken (hopefully soon to be fixed). Andrew has been doing a lot these days. His favorite thing to do right now is point and look out the window - it seems he could possibly do this for hours on end. He is also taking more steps and we are betting that he will be fulling walking soon. Hopefully I will get a few new videos posted as well.

2008-02-28T20:20:00.004-06:00

2008-02-22T08:06:00.005-06:00

2008-02-17T08:20:00.004-06:00

Andrew is growing up fast. This week he wanted to feed himself with a spoon (of course nothing went into his mouth). When Nelson fake sneezes it makes Andrew laugh. One time after Nelson did this, Andrew faked a sneeze too, it was hilarious. Andrew wants to walk he just doesn't quite have the balance yet, anytime now though.
Andrew still has ear infections. We went back to the doctor yesterday and now he is on a different antibiotic. He doesn't complain too much though, poor thing.
We are in for the day, it is icy and snowy outside. We can't wait for spring to arrive!

Andrew videos

2008-02-10T09:29:00.000-06:00

2008-02-10T08:50:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus things have been busy here. Andrew has had two ear infections back to back over the past two weeks, Nelson has been sick and so have I....but now things are better....for now.......
You will notice that in most pictures Andrew is pushing his walker, his favorite toy. He is on the verge of walking. He is such a funny little boy, hopefully I will get some video posted soon.

Andrew's First Haircut!

2008-01-26T19:50:00.001-06:00

I took Andrew for his first big boy haircut today. It was over in 10 minutes and much better than we had done at home. He looks so cute!

A little light reading anyone??

Andrew enjoys playing with his Sing and Go choo choo. He likes to push it around and use it as a mini walker. One would think that this is a great idea since he is so close to the ground however this has lead to many face first falls.

Just look at this cute face!

THank you for sending my Christmas toys Nana! I just love the coasters!

2008-01-21T19:18:00.000-06:00

2008-01-21T18:54:00.001-06:00

It has been an eventful weekend. Andrew has been standing as much as he can. He also used the push walker for the first time without taking a nosedive.

2008-01-21T13:48:00.000-06:00

2008-01-21T11:38:00.000-06:00

Another snowy weekend

2008-01-21T11:21:00.000-06:00

What a busy body.

Andrew's first time wearing mittens, lots of fun!

This picture is for you Aunt Stacey - gotta love those legs!

It's cold here, we got more snow, need I say more?

We have pretty much been in the house all weekend because of the weather and I have been sick with a cold (I am praying that I don't pass it to Andrew). Andrew and I have been enjoying the day off, we have played hard and eaten lots of snacks...his favorite of the week is Mandarin oranges.

2008-01-12T11:04:00.000-06:00

Andrew's favorites:

walking (with help of course)

having Cocomo lick his face

feeding Cocomo Cheerios

eating Cheerios (hopefully that haven't been licked by Cocomo)

chasing after the cats and then pulling Pumpkin's tail (will that cat every learn?)

playing with his farmhouse

dancing

What a sweet boy!

On the Mend

2008-01-06T18:41:00.000-06:00

Starting with the chores young.

I Love this animal farm!

I like to stand next to it too!

After having a stomach bug for five days, Andrew is finally getting back to normal. What a relief. The past two nights reminded me of those first few weeks with Andrew, very little sleep, bleary eyed, and lots coffee. However, it is much more entertaining to watch Andrew play at 1am than to cry.

2008-01-02T10:12:00.000-06:00

2008-01-02T09:57:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T20:08:00.000-06:00

Hi All,

We have returned from our trip south. It was very nice and Andrew was quite a good traveler too. We enjoyed the warm weather, green trees, and of course seeing all of our families. Andrew enjoyed his first Christmas. He loved playing with the paper, ribbons and of course his new toys. We spent a few days with my family first and he thought Matthew was the best. He copied everything Matthew did and Matthew even enjoyed copying him (talking in baby talk and crawling). We ate tons, and it was all good. We enjoyed building a ginger bread house with Matthew too.

Then we went to spend a few days with Nelson's family and had a wonderful time. We spent an afternoon with Aunt Sam, Maddy and Macy and enjoyed an indoor picnic - Andrew enjoyed stealing Macy's bread, it was funny. We went on a few walks and Andrew enjoyed spending time with everyone.

During our trip Andrew turned the big 9 months. Where oh where did the time go (not that I am complaining however). At nine months he is quite a character. He loves to eat (and I mean EAT!). He loves pancakes, grilled cheese, bananas (eats a whole one every morning), red beans...and the list could go on and on. The kid can eat! He loves to walk while hanging on to our hands. Today that is all that he wanted to do. With this new desire to walk we have witnessed the first real tantrum (when we wouldn't walk him), kind of scary :) However, he is the sweetest little boy there is and we love spending every minute with him.

Enjoy the pictures from the trip. We certainly enjoyed going. We are happy to be back home, but it is WAY too cold here. We miss everyone!

Do I Smell Cookies?

2007-12-16T19:37:00.000-06:00

Andrew and Auntie K playing by the castle.
You can try, but you can't hold me down, I just want to stand.
Please, let me out of the jail.

Disregard the bite out of the xmas tree.Andrew loved the gift wrap from his xmas gift from Auntie K

I love to play at my activity table.

What a great weekend. Andrew is doing so much and is so fun (and adventerous too! Three falls with minor (but loud) head bumps). Today Auntie Katherine came over to play and bake some Christmas cookies with us. Andrew finds her facinating and stared for about the first 10 minutes.

2007-12-12T08:47:00.000-06:00

Look at me, I just love to stand up!

Sugar Bear

2007-12-09T20:15:00.000-06:00

Please keep Sugar Bear in your thoughts. She is having abdominal surgery right now. She hasn't been right since last Wednesday and appears to have ingested pieces of a towel that are causing an obstruction. What a weekend, I'm sick, Nelson is sick, Andrew is sick, and now Sugar Bear is sick. We will know more later and hopefully may be able to bring her home tomorrow.

2007-12-09T06:19:00.000-06:00

Woahh...I'm standing
I love ravioli, and I like to put it in my hair!

Dad, this is fun!

Andrew is busy getting into everything! You wouldn't even know that he has bilateral ear infections....again! He didn't seem quite right so off to the doctor he went yesterday. He seems like himself again, just a lingering cough.

It has been another cold weekend in Iowa, 11 degrees was the high yesterday. We didn't get as much snow as was predicted, that is good. It is only the beginning of the season and we are already tired of the cold. It will be fun when Andrew can actually play in the snow.

Bubbles....cats...oh my!

2007-12-02T16:55:00.001-06:00

A Cold Weekend in Iowa!

2007-12-02T16:38:00.000-06:00

What a weekend! Lots of ice....and a little snow. We didn't venture out until Sunday, when it was still a little slick outside. Andrew has had a great weekend, he has a new tooth (that totals 5 now, and explains the weekend crankiness). He also sat up all by himself, what a big boy! We went to Walmart for pictures with Santa (free nowless) and will post that later. I just had to take a picture (or two, or ten or 30) of him in his Christmas outfit.

Dancing to My Own Beat

2007-11-28T11:13:00.001-06:00

Playtime!

2007-11-28T09:44:00.001-06:00

Happy Turkey Day - a few days late

2007-11-25T18:50:00.000-06:00

Hi All,
Andrew enjoyed some turkey, not on turkey day but today. The poor baby has been sick (....again...), he had the croup. The rumors are true about the croup, he sounded like a barking dog. He seems to be getting a little better just in time to cut some more teeth. I flew back in from Candice's wedding on Thanksgiving just in time to make it to our friends house for lunch. Andrew wasn't feeling so well so we had to skip out a little early. However, today Andrew tried turkey for the first time and loved it, he also had a taste of an orange and thought that it was very interesting. We have spent the last few days catching up, as it seems like I have been gone so much. I think he might be sick of me as he almost jumped for joy when he saw Nelson this afternoon. I found out today that Andrew loves to dance. In my despiration to find some way to entertain his afternoon fussiness I started to dance and he started to laugh. I picked him up and we danced together as long as my arms could take it. He kicked his feet, clapped his hands and laughed...it was a lot of fun!
Enjoy the new pictures.

2007-11-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

2007-11-17T08:13:00.001-06:00

Andrew is all over the place. He loves his Christmas gift from Papa and Nana Olivier, that arrived yesterday. However, he doesn't like to sit in it alone so mom or dad has to be in there with him. He also tries to pull himself up on the walls.

Papa and Nana Olivier visit!

2007-11-17T08:09:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Sorry for the blogging hiatus. Andrew's Papa and Nana Olivier came to visit while I went to a conference in Savannah, GA. He did really well while I was gone, but I missed him so much. While away he learned to crawl better, learned to wave byebye (only when he wants to) and expanded his verbal skills. He also went for long walks, went shopping and enjoyed spending time with his grandparents. Here are some pictures while I was away.

Our Life

Sledding

Early Christmas

California Trip

Another trip to the lake

Labor Day Weekend '09

Andrew gets a big Cars book, what fun!

Nelson's 40th Birthday Party

An August Picture Update

Rolling

A trip to the waterpark.

A fun weekend

Happy Easter

Happy 2nd Birthday Andrew!

Zoo Trip

A March warm-up - Spring here we come!

Happy VDay!

A new experience

Heatwave!

An interesting week

Another Winter Weekend

Sledding

Marching

Trip to the Science Center in Des Moines

November 23, 2008

The fall is official here (or is it winter??? it feels like it!)

A September post in October

Dubuque, Iowa - Labor Day Weekend

Andrew singing

Andrew's Favorite - pancakes!

July update

Happy 4th of July

Aunt Stacey and Matthew come to visit!

Andrew goes to the pool.

Taking a ride.

More video and pictures

Videos from the Weekend

April 18, 2008

Andrew turns 1!

HAPPY EASTER

Andrew Walks - Check it out!

Andrew videos

Andrew's First Haircut!

Another snowy weekend

On the Mend

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Do I Smell Cookies?

Sugar Bear

Bubbles....cats...oh my!

A Cold Weekend in Iowa!

Dancing to My Own Beat

Playtime!

Happy Turkey Day - a few days late

Papa and Nana Olivier visit!