Keaton is 7!

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a week overdue. My mom and I had just finished a huge sewing project. She had arrived in Nashville on my due date to help with the new baby when he/she arrived.  We had eaten lunch at the Puffy Muffin. I had this amazing grilled cheese sandwich with french fries and a lemonade. I was resting on our green oversized chair (the most comfortable piece of furniture that we ever owned, btw). I was dozing off and Sean Hannity was on the radio in the kitchen. I was scheduled to be induced on the morning of May 1st, but on the afternoon of April 29th, I got up from that comfy green chair to pee. Turns out it was more than that! We called Scott and he came home from work and we headed off to Baptist Hospital. At 3:00am, our baby BOY arrived! 

Keaton Ray Anderson. 

7 years ago today!!

He let me do a little photo shoot with him on Sunday. Most of the pics turned out pretty good, but he had this expression on his face in most of them like, "really, mom?" 

 This boy LIVES for his birthday, as I guess most kids do. This morning on our way to the bus stop, he says, "Just think, Mom. For some people, this is just an ordinary day!"

He also told me that having a birthday on April 30th "is pretty rare for Virginia."

I guess it's more common in other states???

Here's Keaton in a nutshell right now: 

 loves to tell jokes

loves his baby sister (and his brother even though they bicker A LOT)

favorite color: red

favorite things to do: play Lego, read, ride his bike and his scooter

favorite thing to watch (and read about): Ninjago

favorite song: "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift

favorite food: hamburgers

best friend: Lucas

favorite board game: Apples to Apple Jr.

favorite video game: Angry Birds Epic 

favorite subject in school: computers

He loves to learn, and enjoys school for the most part. But, he's a homebody at heart, and is usually scheming a reason NOT to attend every morning.  He's an excellent student, and his teacher has only great things to say about him.  He recently received the "Eagles Pride" award for his 1st grade class, which is the highest academic award you can get for the quarter.

  He keeps us laughing, usually when he's not trying to. He loves to try out new words that he's learned and see if they work in sentences. 

The funniest thing he's said recently was when he was telling me about how a girl in his class told him that she loved him. He thought about it, "I'm not really sure why? I guess because I'm such a good citizen, y'know?" 

Yes, I'm sure that's it! It's always the upstanding citizens that get the girl! 

Tonight we are going to Chuck E Cheese with the Heath family, just like old times in Hawaii. This weekend, Grammy and Papa, and Aunt Jenny and family will be here to continue the celebration. It will be filled with all the things that make Keaton happiest: family and "at-home time."

Happy Birthday Keaton!  We love you so much!

A Cherry Blossom Birthday

This year, my birthday fell on the last day of the Cherry Blossom festival in downtown D.C. The cherry blossoms were an event we knew we did not want to miss our first year in VA. Even though we fought an ungodly crowd (I will NEVER again go see the cherry blossoms on Saturday!!!), I now understand what all the hype is about. Seeing these beautiful trees with the backdrop of the monuments, tidal basin,  and the bluest spring sky was nothing short of breathtaking.

playing hide and seek in the stroller

People everywhere!!!

Another bonus was that we got to meet my friend Lisa Lord, who was visiting from Oklahoma, and take her home with us for the rest of the week!

Mark and his "Wesa Word"

Easter Weekend

Spring Break coincided with Easter this year, so drove to SC to spend it with family.  I know I've said this a million times, but it's so fun to be driving distance from family again!

On Saturday, we colored Easter eggs with all the cousins (minus Douglas who was sick ALL weekend!)

Beautiful, sweet Caroline!

Waiting on eggs gives you lots of time to think!

On Saturday evening, we celebrated Mary Elizabeth's 4th birthday at Greer City Park! 

So fun celebrating with cousins!

Whose crazy kids are these anyway?

Photo shoot with Grammy!

Me and my girl

Cake time! Grammy made a strawberry cake. It was delish!

Happy Birthday Mary Elizabeth!

Presents!

The next day was Easter!

Easter baskets before church!

Lots of pictures and jelly bean bribes to get them to smile nicely!!

Family picture. Doesn't Grandma look amazing at 95?

All the girls (minus one?)

the 5 of us!

Finally time to hunt the eggs!

In case we didn't have enough sugar, the kids decorated this Easter cake. I think they did a beautiful job!

Me and my boys!

They jumped on the trampoline all day!

What a fun weekend!!

5 months old!

Sailor June is changing and growing, and getting more and more fun with every passing month! 

This month, she's mobile all of a sudden! She's been rolling over for awhile now, but its only recently that she's done it with such purpose. She can roll from one side of the room to the next in a matter of minutes. No more leaving her on the bed for a minute while I run into the next room. She's fast!

She's started to show much more interest in food, so I'm "trying" to get her to practice eating once a day. She seems really into it, but it's hard to tell if she's really more excited about the food (most of which she spits out) or just the spoon, which she seems to think is just another toy to chew on. Either way, its a sticky slimy mess! 

She endured to two long road trips this month, one to Oklahoma, and one to South Carolina. I was hoping all this extra time in her car seat would get her used to it. NOPE! She still cries about 90% of the time she's awake in the car. I even got so desperate as to set up the iPad for her to watch Elmo - this worked for about 1 minute. She's also perfected the art of saving her big poops for the second we take off on a car trip, so that we have to stop to change her - sneaky girl. 

She's sleeping better and slowly settling into the 2 (and a half) naps a day. She still tries to get me up in the night about once a week. Sometimes I give in, sometimes she cries it out. 

She's very interactive now, and will smile at almost anyone who makes eye contact and talks to her. She's an outright celebrity at family gatherings. She even got to meet her best friend, Halle Dennison this month! 

Meg and I can't wait to hang this one in their dorm room one day!

Her eyes are getting darker each month - maybe she'll be my only brown-eyed baby? Most people say she looks more like me than either of the boys ever did. 

Here's a pick of both of us at 5 months old, just for kicks.

What do you think?

I know one thing - this is one LOVED baby. She's just an absolute JOY to our family. 

I thank God every day that I get to be her mom.