Anderson Family Adventures

Tiki Tom & Tiki Tina

2010-02-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

We all headed up to Duluth on one of the coldest weekends of the year to spend time together as a family. We spent two nights at the Edgewater waterpark. (FYI - they offer great deals in the winter!) We were completely exhausted after two nights but had a blast! It was well worth all the work!

Here is Jordan & Jonah with Tiki Toma and Tiki Tina :)

We spent most of our time down in the water. Jordan loved it so much that he ended up getting a blister on every single one of his toes! Jonah didn't know quite what to think. Jonah did know that the water in the pools wasn't quite as warm as his bath water here at home:)

We also enjoyed some pizza from pizza luce while we watch a very disappointing Vikings game :( We all managed to survive - somewhat.

What a blessing it was to spend sometime together - the four of us!

Go Vikes!

2009-08-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here is our new little Brett Farve Fan! What is this daddy of his teaching him :) Go Vikes!

2009-08-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of the slip-n-slide fun Jordan had on the 4th with his cousins.

Summer Fun

2009-08-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Okay so Matt is the one that usually does the posting so I am not quite sure how to do this whole thing yet, but this is how you are going to get it :) All of the pictures are in reverse order because I can get them to drag.

Anyways, so having two boys is totally exhausting! But I would have to say that these two little boys are so easy (most days). Its all the other "stuff" that needs our attention that wears us out. It has been quite the adjustment since I have been back to work - that is for me. The boys have done great! It helps that they have such an amazing dad as well! We have been having a blast this summer! Here are just a few pictures (okay, maybe a lot of pictures) to show you what we've been up to. If I can get Matt away from seminary papers I might beable to post with pictures in the right order next time.

The boys and I - Not bad for taking our own picture.

Jonah just chilling - he loves his bumbo!

Jonah got his first haircut from aunt Lisa. We had to get rid of that mullet & those stray hairs!

Playing with Jordan's cars inthe crib

We bought a family membership to the MN zoo this year. It is totally worth it if we end up going at least three times and we've already gone twice. Jordan loves it! Here's a few pictures of all the fun we have when we go.

Jordan feeding a giraffe - he thought this was pretty cool.

New play ground at the zoo

We got to see Papa Ken, Uncle Joe, Aunt Andrea, and cousins Eli & Elana in the 4th of July parade this year! Jordan thought all those toe trucks hooked together was pretty great (The first truck shown here tows 10-12 other trucks). We got to sit with Aunt Laura and cousins Oliva, Emma & Ashley at the parade. We then headed to Nana and Papa's house for a BBQ and an afternoon full of water- fun!

Hanging out with cousins Molly, Eli & Sophie

Loving the slip n slide (I will post a video when I figure out how)

Jonah hanging out with Grandma. Smiley guy :)

Double Troouble!

Father's Day Fun

2009-06-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the first in a long time where we had no real agenda other than to just have fun as a family. No traveling. No big house projects. Just the four of us.

So we ended up starting the weekend by picking strawberries at the strawberry patch on Saturday. Last year, Jordan had a lot of fun picking strawberries and we thought this year would be more of the same. While Jonah just chilled in his carrier, Jordan was more interested in walking up and down the aisles looking for ants, carrying around the marking flags, and stepping on the sprinkler than he was in actually picking strawberries (although he still ate enough strawberries for the four of us!). All in all, it made for a very unique outing.

Then on Sunday, after Dad got to sleep in with Jonah as Mom made apple pancakes, we made our first ever trip to the Minnesota Zoo.

We had a hunch Jordan would enjoy it, as we'd already had numerous ventures to the Como Zoo. After several hours at the zoo, we'd had enough fun to decide on purchasing a membership. For Sally and I, our highlight was time walking around together as a family, and experiencing all of the sights and sounds through Jordan's eyes. Jordan claims his highlight was the buffalo, although we are a bit skeptical as we only spent about 5 seconds or so watching them. Jordan also really enjoyed the opportunity to touch both a snake and a lizard, as well as the butterfly exhibit, the wolves, and running around with the binoculars.

All in all, it was refreshing to spend quality time together as a family, and we are thankful for the blessings God has given us in our two little boys.

An Eventful Month

2009-06-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we know we said we'd be updating the blog more frequently and haven't really held up to our end of the bargain... So what follows is a mega-post that will update on the many things that have happened over the past month-and-a-half.

First, some news on the Jonah side of things: Jonah has grown a lot in the past couple of months. He is already 10 weeks old, and started sleeping through the night this past week. Yahoo for BabyWise!!! He is similar to his brother Jordan in that he was in the 90th percentile for length, while being a little heavier than Jordan at the 50th percentile for his weight. He is a very smiley and talkative boy and has been such a gift to our family.

We've also had some fun times with our families in the past month. In May we went down to visit Matt's family, where Jordan had a fun time taking a canoe ride with Dad and Papa Dave. Then this past week, we went to visit Sally's family, where Jordan got to see Papa Ken's trucks. He really enjoyed both experiences immensely!

Finally, we embarked on our first family road trip as we drove down to St. Louis for Luke and Sarah's wedding. We were admittedly apprehensive to take an infant and a 2-year old on a 10-hour drive, but we were so proud of how the boys handled it all. We made it a two-day trip on the way down, stopping at a hotel in Rockford that had a fun pool area for Jordan to play at.

When we arrived in St. Louis, we had a great time celebrating Luke and Sarah's wedding. The wedding went great - the weather was beautiful (a bit warm, but still great), and it was fun to spend time with family in a different setting. Jordan was the ringbearer, and did a great job fulfilling his duties (even if we did have to bribe him with M&Ms...).

The real surprise of the night came at the reception. Despite his father's complete ineptitude on the dance floor, somewhere somehow got the dancing fever. He had a blast tearing up the dance floor, and the video below only offers a small glimpse into our son, the dancing machine. He even displayed some breakdancing moves (which we're still trying to figure out where he learned them from)!

We drove home in one shot, and again the boys did a phenomenal job. In all, we only had to pull out the DVD player for about 2 hours. Not bad! Well, that is a glimpse at the past month in the Anderson household. We'll post an update in the next few days (seriously!) with some pictures on the fun that we've had over this Father's Day weekend. In the meantime, you can check our Shutterfly account for more pictures from the past few months.

Welcome Jonah! (like a month ago...)

2009-05-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the fact that we haven't updated this blog too often isn't news to anyone, but we are going to now make a concerted effort to blog more regularly, and we thought the most fitting post would be to welcome Jonah Glenn Anderson.

Jonah's arrival is hardly new news - it's hard to believe, but he's almost a month old already! Just a quick recap of the stats - Jonah was born on Wednesday, April 8th at 2:37pm, weighed in at 8lb, 1oz, and measured in at 19.5" long. He has been a great baby so far - he eats well, sleeps well, and has made the adjustment from one to two relatively easy for Mom and Dad to handle. Jordan has been the tougher one to deal with - while he's great with Jonah, he tends to be more whiny (especially when both Mom and Dad are around).

While we are still adjusting, we love being the parents of two boys, and can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the future. This is going to be a fun ride!

(For more pictures, visit our new Shutterfly account - the link is on the right...)

Like Father, Like Son

2009-01-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

Jordan is showing more and more signs of taking after his father. Lately, his musical taste has come to closely resemble his dad's. On car rides, he loves to listen to Vertigo and Get On Your Boots by U2, as well as Viva la Vida by Coldplay. He also enjoys dancing to them - the video above shows him getting down to Get On Your Boots.

And on New Year's Eve, he began to expand his culinary horizons by trying a favorite of Dad's: White Castle! As you can see in the pictures below, he wasn't quite sure what to make of the Slider, but he gave it a try (which is more than we can say for Mom). In the end, he liked the chicken rings and fries better than the burger. But either way, he has made his father quite proud!

View the post below for more videos of Jordan...

Videos of Jordan in Action

2009-01-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

We have been trying for weeks to post the videos below, and finally got them up. Here is a glimpse of our playful, rambunctious little boy in action over the past month:

At Christmas, Jordan had a blast playing with his cousins. He especially enjoyed wrestling with his cousins, Eli and Elana!

Jordan also has lots of fun playing with Bailey. He enjoys wrestling her (noticing a theme here?), and loves it when she chases him.

2009-01-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

Jordan has been quite the busy boy these last few months. Here's just a few random pictures to recap what he has been up to these days. We've tried to upload a few videos over the last few days, but have had some problems. We will continue to keep trying and hopefully post a some.

Dad and Jordan working on taking the railing off the wall in preparation to paint. Jordan loved it. He enjoys being a helper. He also loves to help mom in the kitchen :)

Jordan loves school (ECFE) - especially craft time! When it is too cold outside we bring the snow inside to play with. He didn't know quite what to think at first.

Jordan's new train set for Christmas. He loves trains lately, thanks to our neighbor's lighted train display.

Christmas was a blast this year with Jordan! Here is Jordan with Grandpa getting out his new truck. He also enjoyed taking care of his cousin Elana's baby when she was busy. Hopefully this will continue when Baby #2 arrives in April.

Eli, Elana and Jordan got to make homemade mini-donuts on Christmas night. They had a blast!

Jordan and Grandma Nancy snuggling.

Jordan has developed a love for cats. We have no idea where this comes from nor do we encourage it. :) Even after the cat bites him he still wants to go find her and either pet her or give her a kiss/hug.

Jordan and Miles on playoff day! Too bad the Vikes didn't win, but we still had a great afternoon hanging out with our small group at the Oklobzija's. Jordan loves playing with Miles!

Finally, here's our little guy sleeping on his new Mickey Mouse stuffed animal (from Aunt Buffy, who spent Christmas in Florida this year). He has been sleeping a lot lately with all of the fun things he has gotten to do and all the fun people he has gotten to see. We hope you all are doing well!

MOZAMBIQUE

2008-12-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

This post is long overdue, but I just wanted to give everyone a quick recap of my Mozambique trip, along with some pictures. Please know that this post will get incredibly long, so if you're not in the mood to read, my one sentence recap would be: Africa is hot, God is good, and World Vision does amazing work. More pictures are included in the picture album to the right. Click on the link and then go to "sets" and it should be the first one.

If you've decided to continue reading, you are a brave person indeed. So here goes... I was blessed to be able to go to Mozambique with a team of 8, including myself, one other pastor, one staff videographer, and five Eagle Brookers. As a church, Eagle Brook partners with World Vision in the country of Mozambique. 1200 children in Mozambique are sponsored by Eagle Brookers, and Eagle Brook also is the sole sponsor of World Vision Mozambique's Christian Commitment initiative. The trip was meant to support both causes. Each person on the trip supported at least one child in Mozambique, and was going to have the opportunity to meet their sponsored child. Jim, our video guy, brought a camera to catch every moment, as our desire is to show the footage to the church in hopes of inspiring hundreds more people to sponsor children through World Vision. Additionally, Dale - the other pastor - and I went to teach a two-day leadership seminar for regional pastors and lay church leaders.

Our team met every two weeks for several months prior to our departure in preparation for what we would experience. God brought together an amazing team full of diverse personalities - but we all had in common our passion to be used by God in the country of Mozambique. We left on October 13th, and the travel was less than ideal. It was an 8 hour flight to Amsterdam, followed by a three-hour layover, before another 10 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. The flights were exhausting, and yet - despite taking sleeping pills with glasses of wine - I wasn't able to get a wink of sleep until we arrived at our hotel in Johannesburg nearly 26 hours after our initial departure from Minneapolis.

After a night in Johannesburg, we had a one-hour flight to Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique. We were greeted at the Maputo airport by World Vision, and were escorted to our hotel. World Vision took very good care of us every step of the way. Knowing that we had just been through a grueling travel period, they gave us a day to just relax and unwind at our hotel, which was much more comfortable than I had imagined. (I think they knew what our accomodations would be like a day or two later, and wanted us to have one last comfortable night of sleep!) At the hotel, we were welcomed by Ernest Fraser - the head of Christian Commitment at World Vision for all of Africa. Ernest traveled with us every step of the way from that point on, and I grew to love Ernest. He was very gracious, had an infectious laugh, and a deep love for American classic rock music (Dale and I sent him 3 CDs after we got home - Queen, Boston, and Lynyrd Skynyrd - his favorite!).

The next day, we went to the national offices for World Vision for an orientation, where we were briefed on all of the work that World Vision does in Mozambique, as well as information on HIV/AIDS. 17% of the population in Mozabique is infected with AIDS, and the average life expectancy is 44. Needless to say, it is an epidemic that World Vision is seeking to combat. After the orientation, we hopped on a plane for another flight - this one lasting 90 minutes, and bringing us to Quelimane. In Quelimane, we stayed at a hotel where all night I could hear fruit bats screeching outside my window and I wondered if an ax-murderer was hiding in my closet - it had that kind of vibe...

From Quelimane, we drove three hours to the town of Mocuba, where we would stay the next three nights. Once we reached Mocuba, it really felt like Africa as I pictured it in my head. 6 of the team members stayed at a fairly "nice" guest house, where we had breakfast and dinner every day. I say it was "nice" because it had running water. However, it didn't have mosquito nets, which was a bit of a concern because malaria is a big issue in Mozambique. The guest house that Dale, Ernest, and I stayed in was a little more "third world." We did have electricity and mosquito nets. But we didn't have running water - so there was a big rubbermaid garbage can filled with water in our bathroom. Alongside it was a pitcher that we would use to "shower" every night. Fun stuff. Additionally, Dale's room had cockroaches galore and my room featured an ant parade that traveled up the wall and across the room.

Breakfast and dinner every day was like a feast - the people of Mozambique were so gracious to us, and went out of their way to spoil us in many regards. It was quite humbling to have people who could afford very little offer you their very best. Each morning, they even made us cake! Other components of our meals were varieties of meats - some good (grilled chicken), some bad (balogna that looked like spam), and some unidentifiable (brownish meat patties). Prawns were a staple in Mozambique, since it is a coastal country - but we're pretty sure some members of the team got sick off of the prawns. The highlight of every meal for me was the Mozambican Coca-Cola. Their Coke was life-changing - I'm not a regular Coke drinker here at home, but their Coke uses cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and it was delicious! I still crave it regularly!

After breakfast each morning, we would drive out to Mugeba, the area where Eagle Brook sponsors most of the kids. It was an hour-long drive that felt like three because there were potholes the size of small meteors everywhere you looked, and so the drivers would swerve to avoid as many as they could. But inevitably by the time we made it to our destination, I had to pee because my bladder got worked over by all of the bumps along the way.

The first two days on the field, Dale and I spent most of our time teaching pastors and church leaders. It was an amazing experience! First of all, it was just a blessing to be able to spend time with men and women working for the same team, just on the other side of the globe. It was affirming to hear their stories and know that God was doing great things through them. At the same time, it was also fun doing what we could to encourage and equip them in their ministry. The first day, we focused on more theology and bible-based training. We realized that because of the lack of education in Mozambique, some of the things we generally assume as common knowledge were new to them. It took me a little while to get used to teaching using a translator, but Gildo - the World Vision translator - did an incredible job. You could tell he was actually preaching the translation. The pastors thought it was funny that I was a pastor, since I was "so young." Dale said he was like Paul and I was his Timothy - that made a little more sense to them. :) They also called me Mateos, because that was easier for them to say than Matt.

For the second half of our first day in the field, I was able to go out and see some of the work World Vision was doing, including several wells and a wood-working shop. You could see the hope in people's faces because of what World Vision was doing. After eight hours in the field, we took the hour-long drive back to Mocuba for dinner - a feast every night. Then, Dale, Ernest, and I went back to our guest house to "shower" and play Farkle.

Our next day in the field consisted almost entirely of teaching. This day, we focused more on personal character and leadership - stressing that as pastors and leaders, they must make sure their hearts are in tune with God's heart. After our sessions, we drove to a World Vision regional headquarters, where we had the opportunity to meet about 50 children sponsored by Eagle Brook. Included in this 50 were our sponsored children. Sally and I sponsor two kids - a twelve-year-old boy named Tomazinho and a six-year-old girl named Suer. It was truly a gift to be able to meet these children. My heart was overflowing at this chance to meet them, touch them, talk to them, and play with them. Tomazinho was a bit more outgoing and we played soccer together for awhile. Suer was incredibly shy, but I absolutely adored her. She was so cute in her pink dress, and by the end of the two-hours that we had with them, I finally got a smile and a wave out of her. We left knowing that we would have another 3-4 hours of undivided time with our kids tomorrow.

The next morning, a Sunday, we went to a Catholic church. Needless to say, it was nothing like church back here at home. There was a lot of dancing, and just an inexpressible joy in the worship. It was quite the experience. After the service, we were able to visit several other area churches. We were greeted at each church with singing and we were sent off with gifts. We then went back to the regional World Vision headquarters, where we had lunch with our kids. I gave Tomazinho and Suer the gifts that Sally and I had bought for them. It was a blessing to be able to see them eat so well - we knew the food that they got to eat with us was a feast compared to anything they normally would eat at home. I played more soccer with Tomazinho, and even got Suer to come and kick the ball around with me. The time flew by and was over before I knew it. It was hard to say goodbye to them, knowing I would likely never see them again. But it was also so uplifting to meet these children that we had written letters to and received letters from, knowing that our sponsorship is making a difference.

After that, it was back to Mocuba for one more night. We departed the next morning for Quelimane, and then flew back to Maputo. In Maputo, we met with World Vision at their national headquarters to debrief our experience. We then spent a night in the nice hotel we had stayed in earlier. The next day was quite a treat - we drove into South Africa to visit Kruger National Park, one of the biggest wildlife preserves in the world. We drove for six hours through a portion of the park, and were able to see elephants, giraffes, monkeys, hippos, a rhino, and even a lion - all roaming free in their natural habitat. It truly made me appreciate the beauty and variety of God's creation.

We stayed one final night, spent the next morning bartering in the streets for souvenirs, visiting the Indian Ocean, and saying our goodbyes. We then hopped on a plane back to Johannesburg, before the grueling 24+ hours of flights. We finally arrived home in the afternoon on October 23rd, ten days later.

All in all, my experience was incredible. I walked away from it encouraged by what God is doing on the other side of the world. I am now deeply passionate for the work that World Vision does - after being there, I can say with 100% conviction that every dollar given to World Vision makes a difference. Their staff is sold-out for their mission and they care so deeply for the children of Mozambique. Hope is brought to families, villages, regions, and entire countries because of World Vision's work. This may be a shameless plug, but if you don't yet support a child through World Vision, I would strongly encourage you to consider it. Many people - including you - will be blessed by the experience!

So that's my trip... If you made it all the way through this entire post, congratulations!!! You have more stamina than I do. Be encouraged that we serve a big God who is doing great things in every corner of this planet as He works to redeem humanity and reconcile us to Himself!

'Tis the Season

2008-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot of fun creating Christmas memories with Jordan over the past few weeks. It started with a visit to the 8th Floor display at Macy's in downtown Minneapolis. Jordan loved seeing the scenes showing a day in the life of an elf. He had a lot of fun pointing out different things that he observed, but got a bit frustrated that he couldn't walk right up to the elves and play with them.

We then braved an hour-long line to see Santa. While getting a smile out of Jordan proved to be a difficult task, he was perfectly content to just sit on Santa's lap and touch his beard. "Ho ho" has become a common phrase heard around our house lately.

A week ago, the fun continued as we decorated our Christmas tree. Jordan LOVES the Christmas tree, and has fun putting his own "ornaments" on the tree (i.e. his Batman figure, a chip clip, hangers, etc.). He also helped Mom put the Nativity scene up, and likes to point out Baby Jesus and the animals. He gets a kick out of finding different ornaments on the tree when we ask him to look for them. And he loves the lights - one of his favorite things is a lit-up train display in our neighbor's yard.

This past week, Jordan created some more Christmas memories. On Wednesday, Jordan went to St. Cloud to visit Grandpa and Grandma. While he was there, he had so much fun venturing through the snow to see all of Grandpa Ken's Christmas light displays in the yard.

Finally, today we went to downtown White Bear Lake, where you can visit Santa and take a horse-drawn carriage ride. Jordan saw his friend Brevin as we waited in line for the carriage ride. Brevin showed him how to throw snow in the air, which kept Jordan occupied until it was our turn to ride in the carriage. Jordan was fascinated by the ride, as horses are some of his favorite animals. When the ride was over with, Jordan was allowed to pet the horse and give him kisses. From there, we went to see Santa. This time Jordan ran right up to Santa when his turn came. It was still difficult to get a good smile out of him, but you could tell he loved Santa.

It has been a fun month so far, and we look forward to even more fun with family and friends in the weeks to come as we celebrate our Savior's birth!

Ever Wondered About Batman's Secret Identity?

2008-11-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Wonder no more! As you can see in this video, Jordan is pretty proud of his new Batman pajamas. He really enjoys wearing the velcro cape and the mask, too. He wouldn't let me take either off when he went to bed tonight. Just keep his secret between you and me... :)

Halloween Fun

2008-11-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

This was Jordan's second Halloween, but the first one where he really started to get into it. He dressed up as a lion this year - his favorite animal. It also gave him a chance to roar, which he enjoys.

He visited his friend Miles and did some trick-or-treating at a church party in the area. At first he was hesitant to take the candy from people, but after a few stops, he really got into it - in fact, sometimes he would wait after receiving the first piece of candy to see if people would offer him any more. By the time we reached Miles' house, he was grabbing candy by the handfuls from their candy bowl. As you can see in the picture below, eventually he decided to just take the whole bowl. All in all, it was a very fun night and Jordan crashed hard from all the excitement and the sugar high.

19 months

2008-09-23T18:30:00.001-07:00

Today, Jordan turned 19 months old... but just a few weeks ago, he had his 18-month pictures taken. We posted a few of the pictures for you to see. Enjoy!

Big Brother-to-Be...

2008-09-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today's update is a brief, but exciting one. Jordan has been begging us for a little brother or sister (okay, not really...), and today we got confirmation that he will get his wish. At the doctor this morning, we heard the heartbeat of Jordan's future little brother/sister! Sally is about ten weeks along, and we couldn't be more excited. If Jordan's interaction with our friends' baby Miles is any indication, we think he will enjoy being a big brother (at least, until he realizes that it means he won't be the center of the universe any longer). Even though Matt didn't get his wish for twins, we are thankful for the blessing this little one will be!

A visit to the State Fair

2008-09-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, we made our annual trip to the Minnesota State Fair. Generally, it is a time for us to gorge ourselves on food that is completely bad for our health. This year was no exception. At the same time, our visit this year was easily the most fun we've had there in a long time. Jordan was old enough this year to really get into it. He loves animals of all kinds, so the visit to the Miracle of Birth Center and the Horse Barn were highlights for him.

The biggest highlight for us was watching him work his way through the Little Farm Hands exhibit, where he planted seeds, picked vegetables, and brought some of his goods to the Farmer's Market. He really got into it!! By the end of the day, he crashed from a Sweet Martha's-induced sugar high, but nonetheless it was a memorable trip for all of us!

It's Update Time!!!

2008-08-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, it has been over a month since we updated Jordan's blog. Because we feel badly about that, we have tried to make up for it with a multitude of new posts. How many new posts, you ask? EIGHT NEW POSTS, to be exact, which is more than this page can hold. So if you want to see all of the latest and greatest in the life of Jordan, you'll have to click some of the links under the "August" tab on the left-hand side of the screen. Enjoy!

The next Tiger Woods???

2008-08-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

After watching this video, you may come to the conclusion that right now he looks more like the next Marian Gaborik... Either way, he loves sending that golf ball flying around the house!

Guitar Hero

2008-08-11T03:56:00.000-07:00

Another thing Jordan really likes to do is play his guitar. After watching Mom play hours of Guitar Hero (okay - after watching Dad play hours of Guitar Hero...), Jordan is practicing up for when it will be his turn.

Little Einsteins

2008-08-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

We really try to guard Jordan's TV watching and don't let him watch much. However, when we need a brief reprieve (or if we just really need to get something done), we have found that there are few things Jordan likes better than the TV show, Little Einsteins. This clip shows Jordan participating in his favorite part of the show - BLAST OFF!

Splish, Splash!

2008-08-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

While we were in Fairmont for the Relay for Life, there were numerous rain showers and Jordan had a blast splashing around in it!

Story time

2008-08-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Jordan loves to read and he loves animals - here's a video of him reading his favorite animal book!

Life is Good!

2008-08-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

We have had so much fun with Jordan over the past several months. Trying to capture all of the fun with words would be difficult, so hopefully the plethora of pictures below will give you some glimpses of the joy that Jordan brings to us on a daily basis.

Relay for Life

2008-08-10T19:36:00.001-07:00

Near the end of July, we had a special weekend down in Fairmont as we participated in the Relay for Life. For those of you who don't know, Matt's Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. After successful surgery, Dad is cancer-free and the Relay for Life was both a celebration and a memorial for those families touched by the devastating effects of cancer.

Jordan (along with everyone else) had a special shirt made up to wear at the Relay, and was very proud of his Grandpa. While Jordan didn't stay up all night for the relay, he stayed long enough to walk a few laps and see all of the cool luminaries that lined the track.

I love you Grandpa!

4th of July

2008-08-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

This year, we spent the Fourth of July in St. Cloud with the Hansons. Jordan had such an action-packed, exciting day that he was quite exhausted by the time it was all over. The day began with a parade in St. Joseph - it was Jordan's first parade, and he enjoyed watching it with his cousins and he really liked seeing Grandpa and Uncle Joe in the tow trucks.

After the parade, we barbecued at Grandpa and Grandma's house before going to the fireworks in St. Cloud. Even though it was overstimulating (and well past his bed time), Jordan still seemed to enjoy the show. Jordan was proud to sport the red, white, and blue, and loved all the time he got to spend with family!

Strawberry Picking

2008-07-03T13:18:00.001-07:00

Jordan got to go strawberry picking for the first time this last week and he loved it! He was a little hesitant to eat the strawberries at first, but he warmed up to them and he was eventually covered. To our surprise we met some friends from church. They helped in keeping Jordan occupied while mom tried to pick fast than Jordan and Grant ate them. We actually got to bring some strawberries home as well :) We had a great time!

Jordan feeding Grant - Grant loves to eat! :)

Picking flowers for Ma Ma.

Boy, these are so good!

Jordan's new friend Miles!

2008-06-28T09:49:00.001-07:00

Last night, our good friends BJ and Amanda had their first child: a little boy named Miles! This morning we got to visit them in the hospital (United Hospital, which is where Jordan was born - that brought back lots of memories!). We had a lot of fun meeting this new little man, and Jordan is very excited to have a new friend. Jordan also enjoyed holding Miles, several times using his sign for "more, please" when he had finished holding him. We look forward to many years of fun with Jordan and Miles.

Family Vacation

2008-06-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we set out to spend almost a week with Matt's family in Wisconsin Dells. It was a week packed with all sorts of excitement. On Father's Day, we traveled to Milwaukee to watch the Twins play the Brewers. Even though the Twins lost, everybody had fun watching baseball the way it was meant to be played - outside!!!

Jordan had a blast hanging out with his grandparents, aunts, and uncles. He spent a lot of time outside, helping Mom and Dad play games like bocce ball and cowboy golf. He also had a ton of fun at the resort's pool and playing in the sand at the beach. All in all, it was a great time for everyone!

More pictures will be uploaded to our Flickr account soon!

Mother's Day at the Children's Museum

2008-05-11T19:15:00.001-07:00

To celebrate Sally's second Mother's Day, we decided to take a family trip to the Minnesota Children's Museum. It was Jordan's first time there - and he had a blast! As you can see in the pictures, there was so much to take in. Jordan had fun playing with the waterworks exhibits, dressing up as a doctor, crawling and climbing in different nature settings, and most of all playing with Mom and Dad. We all left completely exhausted, but we also had a ton of fun and will have many lasting memories of this Mother's Day.

Fun with Jordan

2008-04-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

We feel like we say this all the time, but every new stage with Jordan seems to be even more fun than the last! Jordan has become such a fun little man to hang out with - now that he has the walking thing down, he keeps us busier than ever. He loves to dance, read books, eat with utensils, blow kisses, eat french fries, be silly, give high-fives, play basketball, go outside, visit the zoo, wrestle with Bailey, and snuggle with mom. Here are a few pics that capture our crazy little guy in action over the past month or so:

The "Tired Sillies"

2008-04-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite times with Jordan every day comes right before bedtime. He gets what we call the "tired sillies." We were fortunate enough to capture him in his tired silly phase on video a few nights back and thought we'd give you a glimpse of the goofball that brings us so much joy every day!

Easter!

2008-03-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Jordan celebrated his first Easter in style! While he isn't quite old enough to comprehend the real meaning and reason we celebrate Easter, he had a blast at church nonetheless. He loves playing with the other kids in the kids programming that takes place during the services. And afterward, he spent about 20 minutes with Dad just cruising up and down the hallways, peeking into every single classroom and he absolutely loved the kids playroom, with the fun music and flashing colored lights.

He also enjoyed playing with and opening his plastic Easter eggs, eating some ham, goofing around with Bailey, and hanging out with his Uncle Tim and Aunt Em. (And yes, those are bruises on Jordan's face... Now that he is walking/running, new bumps and bruises seem to appear every day.) All in all, it was a very fun Easter for all of us, but the biggest thing we celebrated this year was that 350 people said Yes! to a relationship with Christ over the course of the weekend services at Eagle Brook! The meaning of Easter - the very reason that Christ came, died, and rose again - is to restore our relationship with God, and to see so many people accept Christ's offer of freedom and forgiveness is always a thrill!

Air Jordan

2008-03-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

As we mentioned in his birthday post, Jordan received a Little Tikes basketball hoop for his birthday and he loves it! Every day, Dad and Mom work with Jordan on his post moves and helping him learn to dribble with his left hand. While he doesn't quite have either of those down yet, he has become very good at walking up to it and putting the ball through the hoop. Dad couldn't be prouder!

Jordan's First Birthday

2008-03-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Jordan celebrated his first birthday with not one, but two parties! On Saturday, he had a great time hanging out with Matt's family, seeing grandparents, uncles, aunts, and even great-grandparents! It was fun to see him get into opening his presents much more than he did at Christmas - he really got excited with each new gift. He got some great new books, bath toys, cars, a plastic baseball bat, and a basketball hoop (Dad's favorite gift - probably because Dad picked it out...)!

Then on Sunday, Jordan had a blast celebrating with Sally's family and with our friends from our small group. He especially enjoyed hanging out with all of his cousins - it is neat to see the way he interacts and plays with other kids who are just a little bit older than him. On Sunday, he got some trucks, a race car track, an Aquadoodle, and some maracas (which he loves!). Last weekend also marked his first experience with cake. While he was initially a little hesitant to just dive right into it, it didn't take long for him (and us) to learn that he has quite the sweet tooth! He devoured every ounce of cake that we put on his tray! In the end, the two days of partying left all of us worn out, but we were so blessed to celebrate Jordan's birthday with such amazing people!

Check out our Flickr album for more fun photos!

One Year!

2008-02-23T12:31:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since we welcomed Jordan into this world - and yet we couldn't imagine our lives without him! God has given us an amazing little boy - curious, fiesty, adorable, and with a fun sense of humor. We will be celebrating this weekend with family and friends, and will update you when it is all over. In the meantime, we have failed to also let everyone know that he is walking (we've kinda neglected the blog for the past few weeks) - he's been doing so for several weeks now, and in the video you can see him walking with his birthday balloons, which he loves!

Anderson Look-alike Meter

2008-02-03T18:55:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

My First Post

2008-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! As you can see from the picture above, for the first time I am making a posting on MY blog. The other night, Mommy and Daddy had to be at different places where apparently kids were not allowed. So instead, I got to spend a few hours partying with the Oklobzijas (some of Mommy and Daddy's best friends). They let me do things that I don't always get to do at home, like post on my own blog, play Xbox, and drink Mountain Dew. I had a great time, and can't wait to do it again sometime soon!

Drinking Mountain Dew, eating ice cream, and watching some TV

Playing Xbox and chatting with my buds on Xbox Live

Ending the night right

My Daddy and Me

2008-01-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Jordan adores his dad! His face lights up with a huge smile when dad comes home in the evening from work. Jordan then knows that it is playing time! (Not that we don't play all day, but it is always more fun with dad!) Dad can always make Jordan laugh and smile! Jordan thinks the world of his daddy!

Baseball Boys

Snuggling with dad watching the Vikes!

Hanging out with dad.

My dad and Me at the Apple Orchard

My dad put me in this silly huge sweatshirt.

My Dad is so fun!

Peekaboo!

Cuddling

Dad teaching me to golf.

Jordan's First Christmas

2007-12-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Jordan had a lot fun for his first Christmas - we got to spend a lot of time with family and friends. He really enjoyed opening all of his presents - though he definitely found more enjoyment in the wrapping paper and bows than in the actual presents. He had a blast playing with his dozen cousins (and even learned how to turn off a TV from his cousin Makeo!). We all found joy in a relaxing Christmas Eve at home, where the three of us spent some quality time after attending church earlier in the afternoon. We wrapped up our "Christmas week" by visiting Matt's family for a couple of days, where Jordan enjoyed the attention and being pushed around in a toy shopping cart. The pictures here give just a glimpse of the fun Jordan had with his very first Christmas.

Our busy boy!

2007-12-06T07:11:00.000-08:00

Jordan is quite the busy boy lately learning to walk. We have quite a few bruises by the end of the day - few tears however. We've decided he's going to be our little football player. We are amazed at how fast he is growing up. He's not our little baby anymore:(

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

Jordan is already beginning to experience the joys of the Christmas season. On Thursday, Dad and Mom caved in and let him have one of his Christmas presents a few weeks early - the green car in the picture with him. Just today he started using it to take steps! He really enjoys being pulled around on it as well.

Yesterday, Mom and Dad decorated the house and put up the Christmas tree (with a Jordan-proof fence!), and Jordan loves looking at the lights and pulling on the branches. Finally, today Jordan enjoyed playing in the snow for the first time today. He enjoyed being bundled up, but wasn't quite sure what to think of the snow when Dad tried feeding it to him. All in all, Jordan is really enjoying the Christmas season so far!

I Am Thankful For Family!

2007-12-01T18:44:00.000-08:00

This past Thanksgiving weekend, Jordan was fortunate enough to be able to spend some quality time with family. On Thanksgiving Day, we went to St. Cloud to celebrate with Sally's family. Jordan had so much fun hanging out with his dozen cousins and of course with Grandpa and Grandma (not to mention Milo and Chevy!). Then, on Friday and Saturday we went to Fairmont to visit Matt's family. Jordan was spoiled by his aunts and uncles, but also really enjoyed the quality time with Grandpa and Grandma. We are truly blessed to have such amazing families!

Some of My Favorite Things

2007-11-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few things that Jordan enjoys. He is quite the busy boy these days! Matt picked him up from daycare this last week and his primary said "Jordan had a great day, but he accidentally made one of the kids cry." Well, I guess at daycare he was crawling over kids and using them to try and pull himself up to stand. Oops! Our child is determined! He will do whatever it takes to get where he wants to go. I am reminded, especially every night I go to work what a blessing Jordan truly is to us. We are so fortunate to have a heathly & happy boy! I am so proud to be his mom!

Jordan loves his books!

Jordan loves to crawl through the bottom of his exersaucer!

Jordan loves his bathtime (especially with dad)!

Jordan loves to stand!

Standing!

And Standing!

Yes, that is him in the fridge - when saving the pic. it got cut off

Standing up

2007-11-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Jordan is almost nine months old, and the milestones keep on coming! Over the past week or two, Jordan would work on trying to pull himself up. But as it tends to go, something just clicked yesterday and now he pulls himself up every chance he gets. Mom walked into his room several times today to see if he was napping only to find him standing up, holding his railing, and just waiting for someone to come visit him. In related milestone news, his second tooth also arrived today. And he got his fourth haircut yesterday. Our little boy is growing up before our very eyes! (sorry about Bailey's crazy eyes)

Trick or Treat!

2007-10-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today, Jordan celebrated his very first Halloween! He had fun dressing up as a monkey (once he got used to it...) and enjoyed visiting his neighbors for candy (which Dad eagerly ate up on his behalf). Mom and Dad also had fun stopping by some friends' homes to show him off - after all, he was the cutest trick-or-treater out there!

A Day at the Apple Orchard

2007-10-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Jordan made his first trip to the apple orchard. Since it was a beautiful fall Minnesota day, Mom and Dad decided it would be the perfect time to visit Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake. Jordan really enjoyed sitting on the hay bales, as well as holding apples. He didn't quite know what to think of the ladies with the matching red and purple ensembles, however.

Jordan has also reached a new milestone since turning eight months old earlier this week - his first tooth! It's just poking through on the bottom, but has given explanation to some of the crabbiness he exhibited. However, he is crawling around like a madman and getting into all sorts of mischief - and we love it! (Dad does at least...)

At the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-08T17:41:00.000-07:00

Jordan made his first trip to the pumpkin patch today, and seemed intrigued by the sights and sounds of it all. He found the hay fascinating, and liked looking at the colorful signs and decorations. In a few weeks, he will carve his first pumpkin (with a little help from Mom and Dad, of course!)

We will probably say this with each new stage, but he is truly so much fun in the stage he is at currently - so curious and observant and goofy!

Additionally, Jordan has recently discovered a love for his basketball. The video below shows him and Daddy having some fun rolling his basketball back and forth.

Finally, we had the opportunity to take some pictures as a family outside surrounded by the beautiful fall colors the other day. Below is our favorite:

Crawling!

2007-10-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Jordan is crawling! Well kinda. He can't quite coordinate his arms and legs together, but he gets where he wants to go, even if it is across the room. We have to watch cords and outlets now - they seem to be his favorite - of course! He is quite the busy little boy these days! I tried to post a video of him crawling, but I think the size was too big. I'll try a tape him again in the next day or so and post it. We are amazed as how much joy Jordan continues to bring to our lives everyday! He is truly a blessing!

Wondering where he should go next

New Dew! Third Hair cut already!

In the swing outside at Grandma's

Spending time with his cousins Eli & Elana

Meeting Addison

2007-09-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Jordan and I got to see the Mercer's this last weekend. They flew in from Colorado for the weekend so we decided to make a quick trip to St. Cloud to visit them. It is so fun watching Jordan interact with another toddler. Both Addie and Jordan didn't know what to think at first, but eventually they both warmed up to one another.

Who are you? (Both of them were thinking this)

Want my football?

I think I like you!

We're Friends

On The Move!

2007-09-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Jordan is a moving machine theses days! About two weeks ago I left him by the blue car in this picture with his puppy and went to get his bath stuff together. A minute later I returned to find him in his closet trying to get his baseball- literally a minute! Matt and I are now realizing we have to keep an eye on him at all times!

He looks so innocent! He loves his puppy!

Sitting!

2007-09-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today Jordan finally figured out sitting! He'd been close to sitting before, but always seemed too fidgety and wanted to be moving around rather than sitting. But today it finally clicked - he sat for quite awhile looking at and playing with his toys, as you can see in the pictures.

Jordan is also feeling almost 100% again - last week, he got fairly sick and ended up having croup. Sleep has been rather erratic around the Anderson household this past week, but Jordan has slept through the night the past two nights and seems to be back to his old, playful self!

Fun at the Fair

2007-08-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

Jordan became a true Minnesotan by attending his first State Fair on Monday. While he didn't get to enjoy the cheese curds and Sweet Martha's cookies like Mom and Dad did, he had a lot of fun seeing the farm animals and the bright lights of the Midway. By the end of the night, he was completely wiped out from all the excitement.

Jordan also had his six month checkup today. He weighed in at exactly 16 pounds, which keeps him on the lean side of things (25th percentile). However, he continues to grow like a weed, measuring in at 28 inches long, which puts him around the 95th percentile for length! What a big boy!

Purple Pride

2007-08-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

It's never too early to get your son started on football, and Jordan got to sport his Vikings jersey for the first time tonight! He wore his brand new Chester Taylor jersey while Dad wore his Tarvaris Jackson jersey. You can just see the look of pride in Daddy's eyes as father and son share the first of many Vikings memories together! Unfortunately, because the game didn't start until 8pm, Jordan only got to enjoy some of the pregame. But he's already looking forward to the season opener against Atlanta - September 9th will be here soon!

Six Months Old!

2007-08-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe, but Jordan is already six months old! The past half year has flown right by, and we're excited for what the next half year has in store. A quick update on Jordan: He is able to push/pull himself forward when he is laying on his stomach on the floor, and by doing so he is able to slowly move himself towards toys that we place in front of him. We have a hunch he will really be crawling in no time (which is a scary thought to Mom!). He is eating his baby food better every day as well. We've said it before, but he continues to bring so much joy and laughter to each and every day!

Our fun little man

2007-08-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Not much new to report on the Jordan front, other than that we continue to have so much fun with this little guy. He is always so happy, and just gets sillier with every passing day. He continues to flip from back to front and front to back with ease, and today started sucking on his bare foot for the first time. He also got his second haircut, which he is sporting in the picture above. In the pictures below, you will see that he is experimenting with new foods and has spent some quality time with his cousins. Jordan continues to bring so much joy to our lives.

Jordan's Dedication

2007-08-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated the life God has given us in Jordan at the Parent Child Dedication. We realize that Jordan does not belong to us, but to God, and as his parents we have been entrusted by God to raise him to know, love, and serve the Lord. Today we also dedicated ourselves as parents, asking for the help of God and our family and friends to model Christ-like behaviors in our own lives and in our marriage. Jordan had a blast hanging out with everyone and is blessed to have such amazing people in his life!

The life verse that we selected for Jordan is Philippians 1:9-11, which says, "This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

Five Month Fun!

2007-08-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

Jordan turned five months old last week, and we continue to be amazed by the way time flies! Jordan has continued to perfect the flip in his crib, and has been sleeping a lot better on his tummy. He has also fully recovered from a nasty cold that he got shortly after his time in the pool at the Oklobzija's - which he really enjoyed. Finally, he and Bailey have become best buds over the past few weeks - Bailey loves to give him kisses and Jordan smiles when he receives the kisses and is just fascinated by everything Bailey does. Here are a few pictures of Jordan over the past few weeks.

Jordan, The Rolling Machine

2007-07-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Over the past week or so, we've caught Jordan here or there completely rolled over and laying on his stomach. But today, something must've really clicked - Dad caught him in his crib rolled over not once, not twice, but NINE times laying on his tummy! While Jordan seemed to really enjoy being on his tummy, he also had a harder time going to sleep because it was like a whole new world had opened up to him and he was way too excited to attempt sleeping. Now we've just got to see if he can learn how to roll back onto his back!

A Visit from the Grandparents

2007-07-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jordan had a lot of fun hanging out with his Grandpa and Grandma Hanson. They drove from St. Cloud to spend the afternoon and early evening with him (and Mom and Dad, too). Jordan helped teach them a new game (Rummikub) and decided later on that he didn't want to nap, but instead had a blast spending time with them (as you can see in the pictures)!

New adventures!

2007-07-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jordan's Uncle Tim got married to his new Aunt Emily! While Jordan spent the afternoon with a sitter (an outdoor wedding in 95-degree heat might have been too much for a four-month-old to handle), he joined the festivities at the reception and had a blast! He was a bit startled when everybody clapped, but other than that he had fun with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and relatives. He completely conked out somewhere around 10pm.

Today marked a different kind of new adventure for Jordan - he had rice cereal for the first time. He was a bit unsure of it at first, but after a few minutes he ate like a champ and finished off his first full bowl! He's growing up so fast, and each of these little milestones are so fun to celebrate with him.

Back from vacation

2007-06-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Jordan's first vacation - a four-day getaway to Wisconsin Dells with Matt's family. Jordan did suprisingly well, enjoying new experiences such as swimming and playing party games like Apples to Apples. He really enjoyed the quality time with his grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles.

Jordan came home exhausted, and is now preparing for Mom to head back to work - No one is looking forward to Mom working, although Dad is excited for the "Boys Nights" that he will get more frequently. Mom's biggest worry now is whether or not the house will still be standing when she gets home from work after the boys have had a night of playing together!

Father's Day Fun

2007-06-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Jordan (with a great deal of help from Mom) made Dad's first Father's Day a very memorable one! You can see in the picture above that there was a banner waiting for Dad downstairs that said "Happy Father's Day" with a picture of Jordan holding each letter. Then all three of us went to Major's Sports Cafe for lunch, where we were pleasantly surprised to find out that on Father's Day all dads get a free Colossal Burger - a one-pound cheeseburger!!! (The picture below will give you an idea of how big the burger was). Needless to say, Dad was only able to eat about half of it. Finally, we went to Como Zoo, where Jordan got his first exposure to wild animals (other than Bailey, who is known to get a bit wild at times).

Additional Jordan update: Today Jordan had his four-month appointment. He was just over 26 inches long (putting him in the 90th percentile for length), but weighing in at 13lb., 10oz (putting him in the 25th percentile for weight) - so basically, he's long and skinny. He might be following in the footsteps of his Uncle Luke! The doctor said he looks great, although Jordan left screaming after receiving four shots... He's spending the night recovering and getting ready for his four-month birthday on Saturday!

Jordan's First Twins Game!!!

2007-06-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Jordan's first step towards manhood: a Twins baseball game! He was very excited (or at least Dad was) to wear his sweet new Twins gear. He seemed in awe as we walked into the Metrodome, trying to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of live baseball (and he may have been just slightly over-stimulated by it all). He was disappointed that Santana didn't have a better outing, but was even more frustrated by the lack of run support from the Twins offense (you can see below that our lackluster hitting put him to sleep by the seventh inning, causing him to sleep through his first 7th Inning Stretch - Oh well...). He screamed the whole ride home and (while Mom may tell you otherwise) it was undoubtedly because his first night of baseball came to an end far too quickly!

Milestones

2007-06-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

At almost three-and-a-half months, we have seen many little milestones in Jordan's life over the past few weeks. He has discovered his hands to the point that he sucks on them almost constantly. He also likes to hold various toys, as you can see in the picture above. He smiles all the time, and while we still haven't gotten a true laugh out of him yet, we definitely get some joyful squeals! Unfortunately, he also just came down with his first ear infection over the past few days. We went to the doctor this morning, and found that his right ear is infected, and his left has some fluid. (We also found that he now weighs 13lb., 7oz. and is 25.5 inches long!) He has been very smiley even in the midst of his ear infection, but has struggled to eat and sleep during the day. Thankfully, the doctor prescribed an antiobiotic, so hopefully he will recover soon enough to experience another milestone - his first Twins game this upcoming Saturday!

His first basketball (with a Tarheels onesie on the left and Garnett jersey on the right)

First haircut!

2007-05-22T21:23:00.001-07:00

Jordan celebrated his three-month birthday a day early by getting his hair cut today! His "stylist" was Auntie Lisa, while Grandma Cynthia held Jordan and Mom shot video and took pictures. He didn't seem to mind, and he sure looks handsome with his new 'do.

.....................BEFORE.........................................AFTER.........................

Sleeping through the night!!!

2007-05-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Jordan is 11 weeks old today, and has been sleeping through the night for the past two weeks or so! This has been a tremendous blessing, especially for Mom... So BabyWise definitely paid off for us! Jordan has also been very vocal lately, "talking" back to us when we talk to him. His hands and legs are constantly in motion, as he rubs his eyes when he's tired, kicks his legs like crazy when he's underneath his mobile, and accidentally punches himself sometimes as his arms are going full force. He's also really enjoyed spending time with so many extended family members over the past several weeks. He is a very happy baby, smiling even when he's tired.

The 2-Month Checkup!

2007-04-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but Jordan is already over two months old! He had his two month checkup today, and boy has he grown! He now weighs 11lb, 5oz (up from 6lb, 13.5oz) which puts him in the 70th percentile (up from the 20th percentile). And he is now 24.5 inches long (up from 19 at birth), which puts him in the 90th percentile! He also got his shots, which he wasn't a big fan of, but otherwise the doctor said he looks great. A woman in the reception area said he'll be a "lady killer" when he gets older and that we'll need to get a second phone line just for him with all the girls that will be calling. We tend to agree (although we may be a little biased). He continues to be a true joy to be around, smiling a lot and looking with curiosity at the world around him.

What a difference six weeks makes!

2007-04-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is Jordan shortly after he was born, followed by a picture taken today in the exact same outfit. He is a growing boy! He more than fills out the onesie (in fact, he no longer wears it), and he's also gotten longer and much more alert. He smiles all the time now, which is so much fun for us. He visited the chiropracter yesterday, which we are hoping will help him sleep better (and poop better, in case you were wondering). We are amazed at how much he has grown in so short a time, and can't wait for the days, weeks, and months ahead!

Jumpman Jordan

2007-04-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

We just had to show you this cute picture of Jordan - the outfit was a gift from Tim and Emily. Looks pretty sharp, huh? And for those of you who have been wondering, Jordan is currently second in our NCAA Tournament pool and won't finish any worse than third.

A visit from the cousins

2007-03-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Jordan turned 5 weeks old today, and he is so much fun. He's starting to sleep a bit more between feedings at night, but we're nowhere near sleeping through the night yet. Yesterday, he got to meet his cousins Eli and Elana, as you can see in the picture above. They really seemed to enjoy giving him hugs and boucing him in his bouncy seat. We have both decided that our favorite times with him are either when he's wide awake, alert, and looking all over the place or when he is snuggling up on our chest and resting.

One month old!

2007-03-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but Jordan is one month old today! This past month has gone by so fast, and we have been nothing but blessed by this little man - he is truly a gift from God. He continues to grow, he is much more awake and alert now (which has been really cool for us to watch), and he is just a lot of fun. His eye infections/clogged tear ducts have seemed to resolve themselves as well. We appreciate all of the family members and friends who have poured out their prayers, love, and support for us and this little rock star. Thank you so much!

UPDATE: With the beautiful weather, it was time for Jordan to enjoy his first walk with Mom, Dad, and Bailey. He got to meet lots of folks in the neighborhood (some of whom didn't even realize Sally had been pregnant!), and he slept pretty much the whole way!

Rub my belly for good luck

2007-03-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jordan would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Just a quick update -

Jordan is doing very well. His eyes are looking a lot better, but are not completely cleared up. The pediatrician thinks that they are clogged tear ducts rather than an infection, so we'll just have to wait for that to resolve itself on its own.

We are both suffering from a bit of sleep deprivation (Sally especially) as Jordan still tends to be much more awake in the late evening and night than he is during the day. In the morning he takes after his mom, sleeping in late, completely dead to the world until we wake him up for his morning feeding. He is definitely growing, weighing over 8 pounds now and getting too long for some of the clothes that were big on him just a few weeks ago. He has long arms (an Anderson trait), and big hands and feet. We've got a future basketball star on our hands!

March Madness!

2007-03-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Like father, like son. As many of you know, this is the most wonderful time of the year - NCAA Tournament time! As Dad filled out his seven(!) different brackets, Jordan has followed in his footsteps. Jordan went very conventional with his first bracket, picking almost exclusively the higher-ranked seeds. You can see in the picture that he is very anxious, as he is hoping (like his dad) that North Carolina wins their second national championship in the last three years. We'll let you know at the end of the tournament how Jordan fared. Go Heels!

Glimpses of God's Love

2007-03-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

Almost two weeks into this parenting thing, the most unexpected joy that I have found in being a dad is the immediate and unconditional love I felt for Jordan. The moment I laid eyes on him and held him, I loved him deeply enough that I knew I would be willing to give my life for him. He had done nothing to earn this love - he wasn't even 10 seconds old! And yet he was loved more than he could ever know.

And as I've reflected on it, I understand why the Bible uses Father imagery and language when talking about the love God has for us as His children. In parenting, I think the love we have for our children is the closest taste we'll ever get of the kind of undeserved, unconditional love that the Father has for us. While my love for Jordan pales in comparison to God's love for me, it has given me a glimpse into God's boundless love and it leaves me speechless every time I think about it.

~Matt

Back to the pediatrician

2007-03-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

We headed back to the pediatrician today for an eye infection/ clogged tear ducts. It looks more like an eye infection, but either way the pediatrician said that we would treat it with Gentamicin drops since Jordan is so young and since this is the first occurrence. We are hoping to see his eyes clear up in the next day or two. He hates getting his eyes wiped out and the drops put in. The good news is that he weighed in at 7lbs 3oz. They were expecting him to be back up to his birth weight which was 6lbs 13.5oz by this next Friday. He's a great eater and is going to grow fast at this rate! Jordan has been such a blessing and he has brought great joy to our lives. We both love being parents and are amazed with this little miracle. God is so good! We are trying to cherish each day as we know each one goes by so fast. We just want to thank both family & friends for all your support and encouragement this last week and a half. It has been greatly appreciated!

America's Next Top Model?

2007-03-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

First check up

2007-02-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

Jordan just had his first check up at the pediatrician today, and all is well. He was back up to 6lb 9oz (he was down to 6lb 3oz when we left the hospital on Sunday afternoon), so we have no worries about him getting his weight back up. In fact, Sally is worried that he is going to be a "chunker!" The doctor said he looks great, and afterwards he had fun hanging out with his cousins Olivia, Emma, and Ashley!

Welcome to this world, Jordan!!!

2007-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

On Friday, February 23rd at 3:02am, we welcomed Jordan Matthew Anderson into this world!!! He weighed in at 6lb 13.5oz, and was 19" long, with a full head of rockstar hair! He made it easy on us, as Sally's water broke at 12:15am, we arrived at the hospital shortly before 2am, and he arrived about an hour later! God has truly blessed us through the joy of knowing this incredible little man. We plan on using this blog to keep you updated on life with Jordan, and you can click the link on the left ("Album") to view new pictures as we watch him grow up before our very eyes!

~Matt and Sally