This is Smiley. He's the happiest turtle that ever lived.
Mazzy doing her best "Really Ugly Dog" impersonation. She's not really ugly though, just impersonating....
Our little puggers when we first got them. Captain Trousers on the left and Mazzy Pancakes on the right. Sweetest dogs ever.
Jordan doing his typical pose for every picture I try to take of him. It's exasperating just looking at it. Also, he's SO TAN.
This is our engagment celebration night! We were so young and innocent! We thought marriage was a GOOD idea! Boy, were we wrong.
So we went on a cruise and stopped by a dollar store on the way there to kill some time and get a few $1 essentials. This is what we found. Notice at the bottom right "for foxy ladies". Weirdest part is that it smelled so good! Just kidding... It smelled like it cost $1. Last, but certainly not least, the dog that doesn't want you to take his picture. At all. Seriously. Don't do it. He wants you to know that he's capable and very willing.
this was randomly saved to post on here so I did it!!!! YEAH! It has nothing to do with Magnolia but I was entertained nonetheless...
Ok... maybe not a genius but We are definitely impressed! October 9th, Magnolia said DADA!!!!! It's officially her first word! The pride from us is equivalent to if she had solved the financial crisis.
Now, I was a bit skeptical until Jordan came home from work one day. I thought it was just a coincidence that our little rocket scientist babbled baba and lala and yaya and dada, but I was WRONG! Jordan walked in the door and she looked at him and declared his presence by name "DADA"!
Since early October Magnolia has had some serious milestoning happening! I'll start at the beginning... well... not the beginning of EVERYTHING... I'll just start somewhere in the middle kind of towards the end. ish.
The biggest news as of late is that Jordan's sister Heather is pregnant! We've been hoping and praying for a cousin on this side of the family and are ecstatic! She is due June 22 and we can't WAIT!
So. A brief recap.
October:
-Magnolia says Dada for about a week and then starts calling ME dada...which is definitely not who I am.
-We take her to our chiropracter who tells me that she's pretty sure Magnolia just said, "hey!" to her when she walked up. Funny. We do hear "hey!" occasionally from her but not sure where it's directed or if it's what we think it might be. Also, everyone remarks on her excellent progress from the lump she used to be to the slightly mobile attentive Magnolia of today. A.K.A. Genius.
-One of my most amazing, wonderful, beautiful, fun, and brilliant friends from college, Jenny, comes to visit us and meet Magnolia for the first time. This is also the first time we've seen Jenny since our wedding day 2+ years ago! We are super stoked that she came! We all go to see King Tut and are sorely disappointed when we find out that King Tut isn't even there! It was King Tut's garage sale. Just a bunch of his stuff and huge canvases depicting his family tree and people that he maybe possibly might be distantly possibly related to. Slightly related to. ..... and then... I got sick. Super sick. Sicker than I've been in years. After 4 days of denying the fact that I had been running a high fever with chills AND profuse sweating and LOSING MY APPETITE (which is remarkable in itself) she convinces me to go to the doc. After a round of antibiotics, I"m feeling much better...by this point, Jenny has gone back to Omaha and I'm not sure when we'll see each other again. Still sad and mad about that. I MISS YOU JENNY!
-to OKC AGAIN!!!! Grandmommy was helping with Mags since I had "the itis".
-Magnolia is a peacock for Halloween and I have no pictures to prove it. It was a brief costume change in her life because she hated it! Jenny has one picture of Magnolia trying it on straight from the box it was delivered in but I need it sent to me in such a way that I can put it on my blog! Thank goodness Jenny is so technically savvy as I am NOT.
-Jordan's mommy, "Cessie or Bubie" gave me an offer I couldn't refuse - Mommy's day out a couple days a week so I can go to the gym or run errands. I love my baby but it is AWESOME. Thank-you Cessie!
November: -Aunt Heather calls and says, "I wasn't sure what you wanted for your birthday but I was hoping a niece or nephew would be ok?" Cheers and excitement ensued!!!
- We go to the Fort Worth Zoo with our besties Suzanne and Kairi and check out some monkeys and a mommy lion and her cubs. Magnolia could care less but I was pretty excited.
- Magnolia has her 9 month check-up and my pediatrician makes me feel like a horrible mother and Jordan defends us to the doc and I vow to never go back to him. I cry in the car. He's a jerk and I'm glad I have an appointment with a different pediatrician a week later.
- Between that visit and the visit with the new doc, Magnolia falls sick. Sunday she begins crying hysterically at lunch and I take her from Jordan and feel that her head is radiating heat! I take her temp when we get home and it is 102.9! NO! TERRIFYING! Luckily, her visit with the new pediatrician (who is wonderful and makes me feel like a fantastic mommy) is early the next day. She ends up having an ear infection and a bacterial infection that require antibiotics. She's feeling much better now! During her feeling horrible and not sleeping at night and crying all day unless she is in someone's arms she had 2 more milestones!!!!!! 1.) When she cries she looks at me and says MAMA! She knows I'm not Dada! I'm Mama! 2.) She started CRAWLING! We have a video of that! I have to warn you, her daddy dressed her and she has on her best Jane Fonda workout attire. Funny now, hopefully funny in 20 years when she watches it as an adult.
So this brings us up to date and I will run a brief list of Magnolia's likes and dislikes at 9 months old.
Likes: - Keys! Why do babies like keys? It boggles the mind.
- Mazzy and Trousers and Disco! Now that she can get to them, she likes a good mouthful of Trousers backhair. She gets soooo excited when Disco walks by....quickly...because if you don't remember... he has no interest in babies.
-teething biscuits and anything she can hold and chew pretty much.
- straws with a wee bit of water in them put in her mouth. She also likes it when you just drip the water down her cheeks or her nose or her forehead. Brings on the giggles. Good times!
- pulling up on ANYTHING! When she pulls up I always cheer for her (and sing the most ridiculous song ever) and she gets so excited, starts dancing, and then promptly falls.
- dog bones, specifically rawhides. Delicious. She's so sneaky and the dogs don't help. They'll just bring them to her and drop them and walk off. At least her teeth will be clean. Wait...there are NO teeth. Also, leaves and sticks and grass that stick to Disco's tail when he's outside then are deposited somewhere on the carpet inside for Magnolia to find and immediately try to eat.
- her room. it's her sanctuary. I understand.
- riding in the grocery cart! You can see so much more than in the carrier!
- Kairi! She loves her BFF bigtime! They touch each other and squeal from their strollers. Adorable.
Dislikes:
- Jumperoo. Sadly, it has lost its luster.
- getting dressed or having her diaper changed. Apparently, it's baby torture to have a diaper changed.
- sleeping. no change there. still a bad sleeper unfortunately for Jordan and I.
- prunes. no surprise. they looked horrific.
- wearing a bib, or even a shirt sometimes. she will try to pull it off and scream. Not my favorite thing ever...
Time for the good stuff.
Pictures and hopefully videos if I can figure them out.
She's crawling! Or some variation of... Turn your volume up. You'll hear a proud Papa!
Post crawl bliss!
Noli and Kairi cold chillin' in the play area at the zoo.
The grand entrance into the zoo. I couldn't resist the side by side cuteness.
Another bathtub mohawk. Think she likes sweet potatoes and carrots??? Her orange nose told me that she loved them.
Our little Maestro
New outfit from Bubie/Cessie. Little Strawberry!
A baby present from Aunt Heather. Sweet hat!
Thanks for checking out our big bundle of heavenly joy named Magnolia!
Magnolia is 7.5 months old! Amazing that she's growing so quickly! Before you know it she'll be shoving her face into her first birthday cake! (I wipe away a tear as I type those words).
There have been some significant changes in our little girl in the last month and a half. I've always heard that the 6 month mark brings lots of change and now I'm a believer! She has really come into her own in the last few weeks! She knows her name - Magnolia AND Noli, is really starting to show some strong preferences for what she likes and she doesn't (what a huge surprise - Annie and Jordan having an opinionated child...ha) .
She is getting stronger physically every day as well. She has learned how to sit up on her own and is reaching for EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. If she can put it in her mouth, that is a big bonus. When you hold her face close to yours - she comes at you with open arms and a WIDE open mouth and, if given the opportunity, will lick your face and suck on your cheeks. Not good for you blush wearers, but good for those of you who need a hug - even a baby hug...with tongue....
Another thing about this change in Magnolia is that she has pretty much become impossible in restaurants and movies are out of the question. We really pushed the movie thing for a looooong time... The last movie I took her too I have no idea what happened the last 25 minutes because we were in the lobby watching the video game lights - no fun.
She loves being outside - when all else fails in the land of crying babies - the stroller will generally do the trick, if not just walking outside and touching the leaves of the trees. I think she's gonna be a biologist. Maybe not. Last week I thought she was going to be a chef because she likes to watch me cook.... maybe she'll be a scientist... who knows? Jordan and I agree, as long as she's not a politician, she can be anything she wants to be! (Except for a politician... did I say that already?)
Here are some of Magnolia's favorite things:
Jumperoo - still the best thing ever. She jumps and jumps and jumps and JUMPS.
The dogs - Trousers - a mutual love between these two. Noli has - tragically - licked Trousers more times than I would like to admit. Trousers even likes being pulled on and kicked. - Mazzy - not too interested in Magnolia but occasionally lets her grab her ears and gives her diaper a couple serious sniffs from time to time. - Disco - still hates babies. In fact he hates ALL babies... and.... toddlers.... and small children, maybe midgets, anyone with skin darker than him, strangers, the trash guy, the mailman, Trousers and Mazzy, and squirrels...oooohhhh those dang squirrels.
back to magnolia.....
teething rings - bite sized and easy to hold - check and check.
the remote control - no idea why. probably because they are notoriously the dirtiest things in an entire house.
food! - she eats all fruits and veggies! sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, apples, bananas, cantaloupe, carrots, green beans, peas - everything! She prefers the orange veggies and that is unfortunately very clear when you look at her orange little nose... oops. I'm incorporating more green stuff into her diet now. She seems as though she is preferring food to breast milk - which is tough because there's a reason she's still nursing! Oh yeah - and she sucked on a tortilla at a mexican restaurant the other day and LOVED it.
sleeping - wait.... she doesn't love sleeping!
blah blah blah blah.. I could honestly talk about this kid all day long but I'll spare you all and give you PICTURES!
1st time to park with best friend Kairi! Kai is having so much fun! Magnolia is....sleeping.
2nd time to park! She's awake this time and trying to have fun...
trying on hats today. I really wanted this one but wasn't ready for everyone to say, "what a cute little boy!" over and over. Going through hand me downs from cousin Ava. This is a super tall and funny hat.
Hello Trousers I can sit up!
The token "mohawk in the bathtub" pic
She wouldn't drink from it but holding it was super fun!
1.) I caught Jordan singing "girls just wanna have fun" to Magnolia last week. I might have had a tear roll down my cheek because it was so sweet.
2.) Magnolia is feeling much much better. The sleeping progress is slow going, but at this very moment she's been sleeping for 2 hours and 27 minutes... WOW. Probably a record in the nap department. It has vastly improved since I started putting her on her tummy to sleep. It's so scary, but worth it in order to retain my sanity. 3.) My brother and his family moved from Dallas to Oklahoma City. I miss them already and wish we would have hung out more! He's made some drastic changes in his life and is working for Feed the Children now! We are so proud of him and, quite frankly, a little jealous. We are itching to move somewhere! Anywhere! Preferably somewhere cold. The Tundra, for example.
Aunt Lisa and Magnolia's big pink bow
Uncle Matt - the last visit in their Dallas house
4.) Last week, Magnolia had her 6 month appointment. Her statistics were as follows: height - 25 inches - 28% weight - 14lb 13oz - 25% Head circumference - 42.5 - 52% (a.k.a. Frankenbaby) (lots of room for brains!) Adorableness - 112%
The doctor said that she looks extremely healthy and although still a bit behind on her milestones due to her former preemie status - she is right where she is supposed to be and is getting stronger every day! -Also in this appointment we've been given the go-ahead for REAL FOODS! And by real I mean soupy watery sweet potatoes. I've decided to make her food myself instead of buying the processed chemical foods. I hope to do it for as long as she needs me too. It's a bit time consuming but makes me feel like a good mommy. -We started with avocados which from day to day can be either a.) delicious or b.) disgusting. Good thing the pugs will eat ANYTHING even watered down applesauced "guacamole". I got video of her first bites of avocado but that will be the next blog (because I have NO idea how the heck to put it on here).
I hope she likes sweet potatoes!
Avocados!
Uncle Todd finally has a picture on the blog (even though he's making this weird face)! Next up - Uncle Troy!
Matching outfits with big cousin Ava.
Grandma Cessie loves Magnolia!
Grandad and Grand mommy. Grandad must drug Magnolia or use voodoo or something because she can't stay awake in his arms.
Clearly... on the last blog the captions got messed up. Ava's name somehow got deleted! If you can't figure out the rest then you're just sad. I know I'm mean. SO WHAT! Oh. Sorry. Read on and enjoy the information and photos of the sweetest member of the Anderson family.
Last night...for the first time... Magnolia rolled over! Granted it was from her back to the front and she did it with complete ease - which leads me to believe she would have done it earlier if I'd given her the chance. Anyhoo, we're excited.
This week, Magnolia had seemed exceptionally fussy and we just couldn't seem to ever get her happy for any extended period of time. Her sleeping patterns have seemingly gotten worse and more erratic than they've been in months and it's been hard to get her back to sleep after her nightly feeding(s)(sssss).
Well, Wednesday night was horrible. Both Jordan and I were up all night with our crying little monkey. Thursday, Magnolia and I went to IKEA with sis-in-law Heather , Grandma Cessie, and cousin Beth. Although she was fussy, Magnolia did OK for most of the 4 hours (YES - 4 HOURS!). Then...MELTDOWN. In the check-out line the back arching, red-faced, screaming monster came out! ...And this screaming basically continued until around 7:30 that night. It was about this time that Jordan and I decided to make a trip to an afterhours clinic.
We walked in and after a few minutes were called in to see the doctor. THIS GUY.....basically he said, "I don't know what it is. It could be anything! She doesn't have a fever or an ear infection. It could be anything!". We agreed and reminded him that's why we were there. He then said, "You need to go to an emergency room at a children's hospital and have some blood work done and x-rays". As you can imagine, this scared the you-know-what out of me. He followed his previous statement up with, "you need to go to the ER because one time, I told a lady that her baby wasn't sick and then a couple months later I was named in the lawsuit when something came up wrong with the baby". AWESOME. We ended up going to our pediatrician for a second opinion Friday and he said: 1.) that doctor was about as unprofessional as can be and he didn't think it was at all necessary for a trip to the ER 2.) She shows signs of eczema on her sweet, precious, slightly crusty face. this could cause itchiness and in turn - tears. 3.) She also has a virus that takes about 2 weeks to get out of your system. Where she got it? No one knows. It starts as a fever then manifests itself into a rash. Lovely - and makes you feel not so hot and in turn - tears again.
She seems to be feeling a bit better today and is smilier and gigglier than she's been in a long time. Just happy to have a bit of Magnolia back.
Also since my last blog - Jordan turned 29! I turned 29! and we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary! Wee! I'm not good at math but I think this means we're OLD.
Here are some new Magnolia pictures. WARNING - She's ridiculously cute.
She'll sit in this every month to see how big she's getting!
And here is some stuff Magnolia's done recently:
Grandmommy came to visit...
Went to the aquarium and met these guys. Not fishes.
Aquariums make me very very sleepy.
My cousins and Aunt Lisa.
Aunt Mandy came to visit!
And Ava...
and A.J. too!
Then we went to Oklahoma and hung with Uncle Jason. He was so comfortable with me!
I ate some cereal and wiped it into my hair and eyes.
DELICIOUS!
That's about it for me in the last month! I've been busy!
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Last, but certainly not least, the dog that doesn't want you to take his picture. At all. Seriously. Don't do it. He wants you to know that he's capable and very willing.
