A crazy few months!

I have been meaning to get new pictures and news posted on here for MONTHS, but yet, it just has been too nuts around here to really get anything done other than just get through the day. So, get ready because I'm going to just post a lot of random pictures that hopefully will tell the story of the last several months and then I will get back on track with being a more faithful blogger :)

The big news, of course, is that Connor John Anderson (also to be known as "Cj") was born on January 12, 2012 weighing in at 8 pounds 15 ounces and 21 inches long.




As many of you know, I had pre-eclampsia with Hayden and of course, I developed it with Connor as well. I started developing it in mid-December and was put on bedrest around that time. Fortunatly we were able to have John's mom come out then and help take care of Hayden and learn how to take care of her diabetes (not an easy task). As things steadily became a little worse and a little worse, I had my first hospital visit shortly after Christmas, then was released under "strict" bed rest orders, only to return to the hospital about a week later to remain until Connor was born. He came almost two weeks later when the test results came back that the pre-eclampsia had escalated to a "severe" point and since delivery is the only remedy for pre-eclampsia, they (and we??) made the decision to deliver and within an hour, Connor was born via a c-section.

The crazy thing is that Connor was born on Hayden's 2 year birthday. Yes, she was born on January 12, 2010. So, they are two years, exactly, apart. Poor thing, this year she didn't get very much (o.k., any) birthday cake or balloons --- but I guess we DID get her a brother for her birthday :) We were happy that I was able to keep Connor inside of me as long as possible, he was one day shy of 35 weeks when he was born. Hayden was 33 weeks and it is amazing to be able to understand now the difference that those extra two weeks made in Connor's developement and readiness for the outside world.



The fun thing is that I delivered at the hospital that John works at. Everyone was super nice and took great care of me. John was at work the morning that we delivered and was in one of the OR's one floor below scrubbing up for a surgery, when an anesthesiologist pulled him aside and said, "Uh, John, you need to get upstairs right now".

Now for some other pictures from the past couple of months:

We had several guests over the fall months, and we had lots of fun together:

Amy:
We had a wonderful time heading into Chicago and seeing Shedd's Aquarium and Millineum Park. Such a beautiful city!





Kabi:
Around here,they do fall festivals like I've never seen it. The below pictures were at Goebbert's Nursery where they had giraffe's and baby camels to feed, camels to ride, as well as baby black bears, siberian tiger cubs, toucans, you name it. It was a pretty good deal for $5 a person!




My best friend, Cat:





On December 2, we celebrated John's 36th birthday and taught Hayden how to celebrate a real birthday :)



In my "nesting" mode, I painted Hayden's room and started to get Connor's room ready -- still not finished with that, but Hayden's new room is slowly transforming from a nursery to a "big girl" room. :)





We opened Christmas presents with my parents here visiting in early December



One of the things we got Hayden for Christmas was a baby set, complete with a baby doll (which she wants nothing to do with) and a baby crib, baby stroller (she loves to take her stuffed animals for walks and keeps trying to fit her non-baby bum in its seat) and baby bouncer. She didn't quite initially get the concept as she tried to get in the baby crib herself!



Below, is a video of the Christmas lights at Lincoln Park Zoo in downtown Chicago. My parents were able to visit it with us while they were here. It was really neat and the best thing is that its FREE :) Lots of fun!





One day while on "bed rest" and going crazy, John's mom, Kathy, Hayden and I went out to a place called Lake Geneva which is 20 minutes away from our house, but in Wisconsin (crazy). Its a major summer destination and even quite pretty in the winter as well. We had a lovely day :)








And, of course, here I am pre-Connor, and man, was that little guy huge! For a premie, to be born at almost 9 pounds.... I don't know if I could have handled giving birth to him full-term!



Well, now you are updated! I just want to tell my dear husband John what a wonderful father he is and husband. I just love my little family so much and feel so grateful that everyone is happy, healthy, and HERE. :) Here we go, from here on out, its just the four of us ready to take on all of life's adventures!