I WANT my Paci!

So today we had a big moment for Aaron. He was a bit fussy at nap time and he does this weird whining moaning thing to put himself to sleep. It doesn't bother me - he is a great sleeper and if that is the way he starts to snooze then fine by me. I could tell the A/C repairman was a little creeped out though. He obviously could not concentrate on balancing our system until I took care of the moaner. I carried Aaron into the kitchen to see if I could find a paci. I found an unopened package of 2 and proceeded to prop Aaron up in a sitting position supported by my chest while we opened the package together. He grabbed the package with both hands and once the package was opened he grabbed the paci and put it right in his mouth!!! Then he sucked on it until he fell asleep WITHOUT me holding it! Now this is not an event I even remember happening with my girls. It seems like they started doing this at birth BUT with our little man we celebrate every milestone. Before Aaron, I had no idea how much muscle coordination and cognitive skills it took to actually lift a paci and put it in your mouth. Not to mention the muscle tone required to actually keep the paci in your mouth without your protruding tongue kicking it out of the way. So you go Aaron! I have never been so proud of anyone sucking a pacifier before. Now - let's hope he does not form a habit:)

Santa Sighting

We attended Wimberley Market Days as a family and happened to run into the Big Jolly Man himself! This is the VERY first year that Allie went and sat on his lap willingly. She whispered that she wanted a Barbie for Christmas and could not stop grinning. Where were Ashlyn and Aaron you might ask? Aaron was fast asleep in the stroller and I was not about to wake him up for a Santa Sighting and Ashlyn was tucked neatly between my legs. She was yelling at Santa that she wanted a Barbie too but she was not moving ANY closer!

Aaron is 6 Months Old!

I know - I can hardly believe it either! He is getting so big - so fast and time is just flying. Sometimes I wish I could pause the clock for awhile and at least get caught up or relish in every special moment. Aaron's check up went well. He is thriving, weighing in at 18.5 pounds and 27.5 inches! Our little man ranks in the 75th percentile of typically developing kids and is off the charts on the Down Syndrome Growth Chart. We are still meeting with Gayla, for developmental services through ECI and have now added Physical Therapy to his plan. He is doing well and seems to be staying on target for the important milestones. His only battle so far is the ears and we are meeting with an ENT tomorrow. He is on his second ear infection already and we want to do everything we can to keep those ears clear for speech development. Aaron is quite possibly one of the happiest babies on earth. In fact we are never quite sure what to do when he cries. He loves smiling and laughing and just wants people to interact with him. He is beginning to develop his own little attitude and was sure to show it when he received his vaccines yesterday!

Please keep the prayers coming - they are working! Aaron is healthy and the rest of his family is doing pretty OK too :)

Blessings....

I cannot believe I have waited so long to post an update. Life just gets busy sometimes and with three little ones under 4 1/2 it seems a bit crazier at our household lately! As we pass through Thanksgiving on our way to Christmas I am reminded of just how many blessings we have in our lives. We are married to the love of our lives, have three amazing children, are surrounded by an incredible group of friends and family, have food every night on our table and a very nice roof over our heads! Although 2009 has been extremely challenging and we have had some difficult situations to swallow, we find great happiness in every one of our blessings :)


Since October 9th (my last post), we have had a ton of fun! We took our very first Anderson Family Vacation to Port Aransas and I got to go to the So You Think You Dance Tour with some girlfriends. We celebrated Wurstfest (more food on a stick), Halloween, many friends Birthday Parties (both young and old), the Downtown Tree Lighting and Thanksgiving. Here are some pictures to get everyone up to date. Enjoy!


Shayne and his kiddos at Port Royal

Steph and the kiddos on the boardwalk after our late night walk on the beach

Aaron's first "dip" in the ocean - Not sure if he really likes it!!

Our two "princesses" dressed and ready to trick or treat

Aaron is VERY happy to be a puppy dog - just wait until he learns about the candy!!!

Shayne and Allie on the Merry Go Round at Wurstfest

Two sisters enjoying the Thanksgiving chapel and lunch with parents at school

Allie, Hannah (10), and Ashlyn at the Tree Lighting

Grandpa and Shayne helping the girls to get a good view of SANTA!!!!

Out Thanksgiving Feast - we sure enjoyed the company and the food! (Mary Ann is taking the photo)