Anson at 2 & a half

The Ansonater along with Mighty-O celebrated birthday #2 in March.  He had avoided the stomach bug at that point but by default (with a sick twin) didn't get to have a cupcake. Poor guy, he sure loves a good cupcake! He's a happy go lucky kind of kid and.....he's two, he didn't know the difference when we celebrated a month later.  He is hilarious, snuggly & has the biggest brown eyes I have ever seen.

Looking good in Daddy's boots...  

This little mister had his first real haircut in February. Although he can be cautious he was very comfortable in that seat & tolerated getting his new do well.  

While we are on the subject of hair, this boy loves to fix mine. He will snuggle in my lap & tie my hair in knots while twisting his fingers around & around saying "that feel nice mommy?" Anson's hair grows so fast, goes every which way & happens to be pretty cute even with that pouty face. 

This little guy loves to play outside & took to his lawnmower very well. This makes us laugh because he & Owen are both terrified of the "blow-a & mo-wa"known as the blower & mower when we hear it outside. Sadly (for them) we live in a tree ridden area & there seems to be people mowing & blowing leaves ALL THE TIME! If it's just pretend, he's all smiles. 

When I think of Anson a word that comes to mind is "helper" since he just loves to help me. He has always followed me around the house so I oriented him to some simple tasks & he was hooked! He can clear the table, carry clothes & load the washing machine. Both boys prefer to load up a laundry basket with actual laundry, toys, bags, etc. & push it around. I often come into my bedroom to find dirty laundry dumped ALL over the floor & no basket in sight....sneaky little guys. 

Oh, they can take the trash out too! Never too early! This was really great for me when I was pregnant & super nauseated.

He loves our Bella girl & thinks she likes to be hugged while drinking her water. Sometimes he passes her a piece of food & her alligator snap surprises him. At some point since he turned two, all the kids were eating lunch & asking for a cookie if they finished it all. Everyone minus Anson was done & closing in on the plate of cookies. He threw his plate full of food up in the air & it crashed to the floor feeding Bella a delicious snack. He was yelling "I done! I get cookie!" I was laughing so hard I gave him one anyway. 

Anson took his first trip to the dentist over the summer. He was brave & received an A+ in dental health. We chalked that up to the amount of toothpaste this child has ingested. He & Owen + toothpaste, oh my goodness!  There was an evening that I was enjoying a big mason jar full of the perfect flavored iced tea. I sat it on the counter in the bathroom while I put Owen in the bathtub. I figured I would let them swim around while I kicked my feet up & finished off my beverage. Instead, I turned around to find Anson holding all four toothbrushes head down in my tea swirling them around while smiling at me ever so sweetly. What a picture of life right now haha!

Nicknames in this family are not only established from the root name but more often based on the personality of the one being named.  Anson & his cautious way of life was described as being a sparkler in the realm of fireworks compared to his bottle rocket brother. There is great benefit in life maintaining a healthy amount of reservation when trying new things. A few things that make Anson stop & think- a swing that might be pushed too hard by someone new, climbing onto a rock wall to jump off that might be too high....it's nice to have a sister....

Anson & some watermelon that he can devour almost as fast as Bennett...

This child looooooves his blankie which in some ways makes me happy since my mom & I made it but we really need to work on some separation from it....all in due time. Maybe about 6  months ago he rubbed one corner so much that he made a hole in it which he found to be the perfect place to loop his finger through. Over time the hole got bigger & bigger to where toys would disappear into the dark hole & have to be fished out. Finally one quiet Sunday afternoon I whipped out the sewing machine to stitch it back up to it's proper diameter. Anson was extremely concerned for his blankie's safety as evidenced by the photo below...

It took some sewing & ripping out stitching to get it to the exact size he desired & until I got it right he was not too happy with me. He decided he wanted to be able to stick his four fingers in so I fixed it right up for my big brown eyed boy. 

Things about Anson at two:

• He says "I be bot back" when walking out of the room & plans to return
• When I say I am going to do something he doesn't like he says in a grouchy voice with a furrowed brow "no you cannot." He also does not like when I put something in the microwave that he prefers to eat immediately such as oatmeal. He says "hey! Do not cook it" Although since I find him sitting in the pantry eating oatmeal straight from the container as well as chewing on the wrapping trying to get into a granola bar. 
• He along with the rest of the bunch love to play "Chick-A-Lay" where they stand at the Lemonade stand & charge money for chicken, fries & "lemolade." One afternoon I asked him how much my meal cost & he said "one honey dollars."
• For the past 3-4 months Anson will randomly say with great gusto & slight concern "It's 8 o'clock!" Sometimes he glance at the clock & sometimes he just pops up from playing with Legos & says it. We have followed suit & every evening after a drawn out bedtime between the Fab Five we walk back into the kitchen & one of us says it but it is actually the real time. For months I have wondered where he got this from but last week I was reading him his favorite nursery rhyme book & the last page has "Wee Wille Winkie runs through the town, upstairs & downstairs in his nightgown. Rapping at the window, crying at the lock, are the children all in bed for now it's 8 o'clock!" No wonder he says it with concern....it's extremely creepy haha!
• He hates when we stir things with the utensil upside down
• He turns many things he is eating into a lollipop such as a pretzel & a piece of cheese.
• He uses his right hand for everything
• When he jumps in our bed some mornings he lays right on my arm & says in a very irritated tone "SCOOT"
• He experiences great confusion on mealtimes & now has his brother confused too. When they wake up in the morning he says "It's morning time? We eat dinner?" I say that we are going to eat breakfast & he says "NOOOO, we eat dinner!" So that times every meal & snack time we have this conversation. 
• He says "sea force" for sea horse & "monster" for lobster
• He is sensitive to the blower & mower sounds along with any noise or shadow once he is tucked in for the night. One evening we heard him saying "I sared. Whats' that noise Owee?" Owen did a great job calming him down. 
• When I walk to another room of the house & Anson notices I am not with him he starts saying "Mommy, where ah you?" Once he finds me he says "you were lost Mommy, I found you!" 
• When I take my seizure medication in the morning he says "That you medicine mommy? You brain broken?" I say "yes buddy my brain is broken." He & Owen say "Don't worry, you get a new brain in heaven."
• Favorite animal is an ostrich & when you ask him his favorite color or number he says "ostrich"
• When we are out & about around others that leave the room he says "where da maamses?" since ma'am is the word for all ladies. 
• When we are shopping & I say we need to go to the check out he says "but I don't want a check up, they give me a shot? They give me a diaper change?" Makes me snicker every time. 
• He likes to take his "vitamim"
• When the kids are reconciling with one another it usually ends with a hug. Anson always says whether offender or offended "I forgive you/ yes I forgive you, no hugs"
• His favorite snack is yogurt raisins & almonds
• When I forget something & say "Oh my, I forgot!" He says you lost your mind mama?"
• He says "rollercycle" for motorcycle & bicycle, "rollypop" for lollipop
• Apparently I say "oh my gosh & come on man" on a regular basis. I was in the kitchen fixing a meal & goofed on something. He immediately said "oh my gosh man!"
• He is a thankful little boy & often says thank you for the most random things. One day he said "Thank you mommy." I said "for what buddy?" He said "thanks for nothing" with the sweetest grin on his face. 
• When I tell Owen or Arlo they are so handsome Anson interrupts & says "no, I'm handsome." He's right on considering we call him "Handsome Anson."

Twin brothers are so sweet. Anson loves to spend time with Owen. They read books together....

snuggle while watching a show in mirror image fashion...

love their sissies.....

and baby brother....

a little comparison from one to two...

Anson at 2, or rather closer to 3. Love him. 

Anson at 21 months

Anson, the official baby of the family is 21 months old! He too will be represented with old pictures for sanity's sake. He's quite expressive & precious. 

21 things about Anson at 21 months:

1. He is always looking to entertain & get a laugh out of someone....there are five of us to work with & he usually succeeds. 
2. He can be impatient in the car yelling "GO" every time we slow down to stop. I decided to pull out the "Go Dog Go" book (which has been a huge hit) to explain that the red light means stop & the green light means go. It's not working yet ; ) 
3. On the other hand, he has melted my heart this past week in the car even with his outbursts. He was crying "mama, mama" & pointing at my visor until I opened it & he was able to see me. His grin was soooo sweet & he has spent the rest of our time either staring at me with those big brown eyes or waving & saying "hello!" 
4. He says "okay" all the time but it is hilarious because he says it just like me. I usually say this when all are out of control & I exhale while saying "oh-kay, let's all just take it down a notch." 
5. He likes to count & it usually goes like this. Mommy- "one," Anson- "two," Mommy- "three," Anson- "GO!" 
6. While he does not have a rooster puff like his bro he does do a great rooster impression sounding like "coo-a-doo-doo."
7. His favorite book is "Hello Texas" & he loves to imitate all the sounds like the cannon says "BOOM" & the quiet river says "shhhh." I know the river doesn't actually say that but it was the only sound I could think of ; ) 
8. He loves to build towers & is deeply offended when Owen stops by for a visit & sends it tumbling to the ground. He has impressed us with his balance & ability to stack a good 15 wooden blocks without them falling. He is adorable when the stack gets as tall as him & he attempts to stand on his toes to place the top block on before passing it to a sister for help. 
9. Back to the dinner table....Anson places his utensils or food on his head (another balancing act) & stares at you with a straight face until you laugh. He actually forgot his crackers were on top of his head last week & started crying until his Daddy reminded him of their location. 
10. He also loves yogurt raisins but that's no surprise. This kids is a garbage disposal who will eat anything & everything placed in front of him. 
11. He was sound asleep the other morning (14 hours after being placed in his crib the other night) & I had to wake him to join us for the tail end of breakfast. He was so drowsy until I said "Ansy, do you want some pancakes?" to which he responded with jumping to a standing position & saying "Yay! Pa-cakes!"
12. When the water starts to run out in the tub he lays down on his belly & acts like he is on the Olympic Skeleton team but must reverse every 36 inches. Owen decided to join him the other night, got directly in front of his teammate & Anson decided to take a bite of the tushie in the way. I'm certain they will love that story in about 15 years ; )
13. When you say "Who loves you?" He says Mama, Dada." When you ask "Who made you?" He says Mama, Dada (true) but when asked again he says "Goh!" for God. 
14. He says "Ummm" a lot when you ask him a question & really looks like he is thinking of a witty answer....although he can't express it yet. What a little comedian! 
15. He loves construction anything & quickly identifies the Roller. He could not have been more excited when we saw a real life roller coming down our street the other day!
16. He tries to copy his brother & jump while holding onto the side of the crib. One kid gets some serious air while the other looks like he might have stepped in super glue. I will let you guess which is which ; ) 
17. Charlotte can't stop singing Jingle Bells (and driving us crazy) but Anson can't get enough & says "Moh!" at the end of every tune. 
18. He does the most hilarious tiger impression when it's time to get out of the bathtub & again keeps the most serious face while growling at you & crawling in a very tiger like way. 
19. He enjoys some eskimo kisses with mommy on a daily basis. 
20. This little guy always has two blankets in hand & has wiggled his finger through the corner of one. It helps him identify his quickly & if we try to trick him with Owen's he is not a happy camper. 
21. He (& his bro) give Daddy the warmest welcome imaginable at the end of every day. Lots of screams, running to the door, big hugs & following him around for the first 15 minutes. I think it makes someone feel pretty special. I'm glad...because he is. I feel like doing the same thing when he comes home ; )  

Oh & he loves his brother more than I could ever express in words. He spends lots of time trying to squish him during the day whether he is backing up onto an already full lap (me with Owen) or climbing into something already occupied....but what's new? He has been squishing that boy since they were in the womb!

21 months with the Ansonater & boy do we love him! Between holidays & starting off a new year, I have a feeling I will wake up surprised with two year old boys. Where has the time gone?

Anson at 19 months

Anson Ellis is now 19 months old & he along with his brother (& sisters) have kept me SO very busy that I missed writing the usual 18 month old post. No worries though, life is moving right along & this boy is growing & changing faster than I can blog anyway! Handsome Anson who also responds to Dancin' Anson & the Ansonator is making us laugh daily with his talking, copying sounds & words, silly dance moves & sweet singing of random tunes. 

He still outweighs the O-meister due to his appetite & food swiping skills from his brothers high chair if they are too close...that always makes me laugh & I guess Owen is just used to it since it has been happening since they were "womb-mates!"

STATS: 

31 1/4 inches- 11th percentile

25 pounds 4 ounces- 63rd percentile

Size 18-24 month clothes with some 

2T mixed in for comfort in the waist area

Size 6.5 shoes

What the "big guy" as Eloise calls him is up to at 19 months:

• he switches day to day on whether he is a "go with the flow" or "the needy twin" sometimes I have two "needy twins" but rarely two "go with the flow"
• no matter what kind of day it is, this guy desires snuggles all the live-long day
• he LOVES his blankie & carries it around with him like a little Linus from Charlie Brown. He calls it his "Ba-by" & if he is not holding it when lifted out of his crib, he reaches in to fish it out from between the rails. He then goes & gets Owen's for him & brings it directly to him exclaiming "Ba-by! Ba-by!" & throws it on him. For awhile Owen could have cared less about the blankie & would walk off & leave it. Anson would see it happen, freak out, get the blankie & chase down Owen to make sure he had it. SOOO funny! Eventually Owen decided he liked it too but not nearly as much as Anson. 
• still self soothing with that thumb...it's not like he has a good example on how not to suck your thumb...or finger... or rub your belly button till it's red ; ) Not sure how we will drop all that madness but surely the day will come & someone will get made fun of. 
• will break out in song anytime you ask him to sing to you
• runs full speed everywhere but still has that adorable slightly uncoordinated toddler wiggle while on the move, the one where it looks like his arms are connected to someone else's brain. 
• outdoors is the place of choice! He grabs his shoes & attempts to put them on while yelling toward the back door as to alert all that it is time to go outside. 
• had a stinkin' good arm when throwing balls, sticks, or rocks & even flogged mommy one afternoon with a beaded necklace leaving quite the mark across my face
• I mentioned he had a beaded necklace....he often has beaded necklaces, fancy schmancy sunglasses & a headband on....the joys of having big sisters!
• eats like a maniac only turning down tomatoes
• sleeps from about 6:30pm-7am & 1-3pm with an hour long morning nap a few mornings a week if he is really grumpy
• enjoys stacking blocks or cups but ends up VERY sad/angry when someone about his height knocks them down....it happens all the time. I have started to only let him play with the cups he loves in his crib alone so he can enjoy the towers he builds.
• knows where his head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, hair, belly, shoulders, knees, arms, fingers & toes are & loves to be quizzed. 
• favorite books at the moment are: Where's Spot?, From Head to Toe, Cowboy Small, Hello Texas & Little Blue Truck 
• does many an animal sound, some correct but still growls a lot.
• loves to FaceTime with Gaga & Paw Paw or Grammy & Papa or pretty much anyone who might show up on the screen. My mom sang Itsy Bitsy Spider with him a few months ago on FaceTime & now every time we are on there he attempts to say "spider" & does some hand motions to encourage a song. Most people happily start singing making him one happy boy!
• has really taken a liking to his GGran, my grandmother. He actually prefers her to his Gaga, Mommy & Daddy if she is around. It's pretty adorable & I have a feeling she kind of enjoys it!
• has beautiful big brown eyes, just like Rob. I'm still jealous at the eyelash allocation around here ; ) 

He is talking up a storm, not always able to be understood but he sure gives it a fair shot! Along with the words he says regularly, he will repeat anything he hears...love that stage ; ) Here are some of the many things he says...

• mama, dada, Char, Lolo, Bella (as clear as day)
• Gaga, Papa & Paw Paw sound the same, Ska for Scott, Kai for Kyle, Stee for Steve, Jah for Jenny, Gah from Grammy or occasionally Mimi, Gee- Ga for GGran & Gee for GG. He says all these while looking at pictures : ) 
• my very favorite thing he says is "where are you?" He says this when he is looking for me in the house or when he has been corrected & is crying on on the floor with me right next to him. When we were at my parents I heard him at 4:30am from his crib say "Mama, where are you?" followed by silence & a sleeping baby. He also hides cars in his play garage & says "where are you?" adorable & never gets old!
• cup, milk, juice, wahwah for water, bapple for apple, tried really hard to say applesauce & had me & the girls laughing hard at lunch today. It sounded a lot like "dubba dubba dubba shauce"
• he is obsessed with ca-coos aka cookies & freaks out when he even hears it whispered
• ree for read, book, ball, bath
• puppy, koala (one of my favorites), cloppity sound when he sees a horse, gaff for giraffe, cat, bear, attempts to say squirrel
• balloon, bubble, stick, pane for plane, chu for truck anytime he hears either
• woohoo, no, pease for please & now with an exclamation mark. When we were in Kingwood last week, we were outside visiting with a neighbor who told his son to get in the truck "now" with a rather loud voice. Anson followed up the instruction with yelling "NOW!" just after him. It was pretty funny. 
• there are many many other words & I know the list grows each day so I will just stop there so we can move onto more pictures of this little fellow : ) 

Onto the band of brothers.  We are very much enjoying having two 19 month old little guys in our midst albeit it is quite challenging for obvious reasons.  Their interactions warm our hearts & make every attempt to burst our eardrums.  They truly enjoy each others company which is so special to witness & encourage.

This is a typical moment...Owen smiling at the camera while Anson is distracted by sticking something in his ear, or mouth or nose....

These two spend countless hours together, making each other smile or provoking great frustration. They are content sharing mommy's lap for reading even though it is getting a little tight especially when Eloise is desiring that same space. At nap & bedtime I hold them each separately for a bit for snuggles & songs. Who ever is not being held stands in their crib & smiles sweetly while holding a blankie until it is their turn.  O&A can empty out a bathroom drawer full of bows or toothbrushes & toothpaste in about 2 seconds flat. This house (with foundation issues) is killing us with doors that don't shut. We are about to gate this whole thing off! They also like to pull all their clothes out of their drawer while having playtime in their room. They look so innocent in this picture ; ) Actually, now that I really look at it, I think Anson is contemplating a death defying leap off the rock wall.

and this last one of these sweet baby boys just melts my heart....

What excitement this little bubster brings to our lives! We are enjoying him to the fullest, praying God's protection over him & even now for a heart that will be drawn to the Lord. 

Anson at 19 months...

Anson at 15 months

Handsome Anson is 15 months old & bringing much laughter to our home each day. He is a mini comedian, super snuggler & a sneaky little swiper when it comes to food or toys that belong to someone else.  It seems like learning has just exploded with the twins in the past few weeks which has resulted in lots of cheering in the house. 

STATS:

23 lbs 6 ounces

30 1/2 inches 

12-18 month clothing

Size 5 shoes -chubby width : ) 

What Jack Benny is up to at 15 months:

• although he is only 23 pounds, he feels more like 40 pounds when lugged around the house on a hip. He LOVES to be held & requests by standing at your feet saying "uh uh uh uh uh uh"
• has four teeth on top, two on bottom & one other that is just cutting through...can't remember where 
• took his first step on May 26th while we were in the kitchen at Grammy's house & was quite proud of himself. I was excited to catch it since it was my first week of full time work & he was SO on the verge of taking off on foot!
• On June 7th while watching the Horse Races on TV, both boys popped up & started taking lots of synchronized continuous steps. They were hilarious & adorable.
• This past week Anson has figured out that he can walk long distances & will go a good 20 steps before tumbling.
• is pretty good at balancing things on his head including but not limited to: cups, cars, broccoli & chunks of meat
• likes to stack blocks or stick Legos together & pull them apart
• has some beautifully long eyelashes that he got from his Daddy
• puts just about any non edible item in his mouth

• does not refuse ANY food & is a bottomless pit. Favorites: steak, black beans, cheese, grapes, PB&J, chocolate chip cookies at the grocery store, broccoli, eggs, toast, muffins & about a million other things
• attempted to self feed with some oatmeal the other day....was quite messy
• Says- Mama, Dada, "Cuh" for car, "Duh" for duck, "Bah" for ball, "Dah" for dog, Bye & attempts to repeat any sound you ask him to. I swear he said "I love you" one time : ) 
• absolutely loves to be read to with his favorite book being "Row, Row, Row your boat" in which he throws at you while saying "whoa whoa whoa whoa" 
• does the hand motions for Twinkle Twinkle & Itsy Bitsy Spider
• knows where his head, ears, eyes, nose & belly are
• "sings" along with me when I sing to him before bed or just "sings" to himself at random times
• loves for his Daddy or sissies to lay on the floor & climb all over them
• always has a more snug fitting shirt than his leaner bro ; ) This picture makes us laugh...

• follows simple directions like "Bring mommy your car" or "Get your book."
• struggles to follow simple directions like "Don't pull the nightlight out again" or "Don't throw your cup on the ground" or "Don't feed Bella" not sure why those aren't sinking in ; ) 
• is very sensitive when told "no" & cries until snuggled 
• when we say "Let's go take a bath buddy" he races to the tub & last night actually walked all the way there!
• attempts to kick ball while standing. Has been watching lots of the World Cup with Daddy & throws his hands up in the air & yells "Goal!" on command.  

• is very sweet with a stuffed animal or baby snuggling & patting
• could not be any happier then when he is outside getting dirty in the sandbox or flower pots
• would swing all day long if you kept pushing
• loves to growl & sounds a little intimidating
• growls when asked what sound pretty much any animal makes....hilarious 
• is a great sleeper napping from about 9-10:30am, 1-3:30pm & overnight from about 6:30pm-7am
• Anson is still a die hard thumb sucker!

Anson is fairly laid back in comparison to his look alike older bro. He being the heavy weight champ in utero & beyond still steals food off Owen's tray by grabbing the high chair tray, pulling him close & swiping. No wonder Owee-O stays so trim! His extra few pounds gives him the ability to chase Owen down, crawl onto his back & flatten him out like a pancake. Mighty-O doesn't go down without a fight (more about him in his own post) & can usually escape.  Their interactions are humorous & absolutely precious. How fun to have someone the same age to play with! They aren't very good at sharing toys but when it comes to popsicles, they will hold it out for the other to take a lick.  They talk to each other when put in their cribs which are currently touching. They play peek a boo & make each other laugh. They hold hands in their car seats but play a mean game of holding each others heads down between their knees until someone cries "uncle" when in the wagon. 

Here he is with his best buddy & number one fan.... 

They hate to be separated & when one is in a chair, the other requests to join him.  This presented the perfect opportunity to snap a pic of the first walking shoes for the little guys.  They like them but much prefer the barefoot look.

Time is a flying that's for sure! The combo of two walking & climbing is a bit exhausting but couple that with the ability to learn all sorts of new tricks & words, we are fast approaching one of my favorite stages. 

One last one of Anson looking like a nap might be calling his name....

Anson at one

Anson is ONE! We celebrated many things on that special day including having made it through the first year with four very young children...the party was really for us ; ) Really though, watching Anson grow from five pounds to be the official "chubby bubby" of the family is something worth celebrating! God has brought much joy to our hearts through caring for this precious boy who is laid back, a bit noisy & has some yummy chub chub... love that!

All about Anson Ellis at ONE year old (give or take a month)

At his one year old appointment:

29 inches

21 pounds 9 ounces

size 4 shoes

size 12-18 month clothes

Anson jumped up to the twenty something percentile, I wish I could remember but truth is, I can't remember a lot of things..but my children are alive & well & that is what matters ; ) We were not really surprised that A was three pounds heavier than his bro with his insatiable appetite coupled with waiting to crawl for an entire month after O. 

These two are a hoot with mustaches... 

or attacking mommy...

Doing things together is just a way of life for these two but really, they seem to truly enjoy each other's company & are not too happy when separated. I love their interactions & look forward to seeing that special relationship develop over the years to come. 

Onto the big boy & what he is up to at ONE year old:

• figured out how to crawl in forward motion the week he turned 11 months old after being Owen's number one supporter for the previous month clapping excitedly for him each time he crawled, hahaha!
• has completely caught up to his brother & can move fast & pull up on anything...even a flat wall : ) 
• can take a couple steps toward something if holding on
• says mama, dada, gaga, papa & lately loves to say "li-li-li-li-lah" I think he is saying the name of his best girl Lilah ; ) 
• answers "ya ya ya ya" when you ask him a question
• gets beat up on by his bubby but shows him up by stealing food off his tray at meal time...no wonder there is a weight difference!
• sucks his thumb & gets this faraway look in his eyes
• looks just like his Daddy so much so that we refer to him as "baby Robby" all the time 
• waves every time you call his name as if to say "I'm right here, not doing anything wrong!"
• is VERY vocal & screams or growls while eating or playing
• happy to chill in the wagon or stroller on a walk
• does the cutest squeal/breathing in when excited about something
• has five teeth- three on top, two on bottom & chooses to test their strength frequently on family members causing some tears
• LOVES his sisters & all the ways they entertain him
• had a crazy fly away hair style until his recent matching summer buzz cut to further confuse people who struggle to tell the twins apart ; ) 
• is obsessed with putting small toys inside cups 
• does the motion for "twinkle" when you sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• likes to hand you something when you ask for it
• always looks surprised...

Sleepy Time: Anson values sleep although not quite as much as Owen but still, I get some good naps from this buckaroo! He goes to bed by 6:30 every night & wakes around 7:45am followed by naps around 9:45-11 & 2-4. He most always wakes before Owen but usually no more than 20 minutes earlier. It provides for some sweet cuddles with my chubs. If his thumb is in his mouth during a pre-nap diaper change I can rest assured that he will be asleep within minutes of laying him down. If not, he likes to play peekaboo with his best bud until Owen checks out & goes to sleep which prompts some screaming on his part, possibly another snuggle from mommy & then sound sleep. Either way works for me : ) Once he is asleep he is down for the count & not much wakes him.

Hungry Bone:  Goodness sakes, this boy is already eating us out of house & home! The only thing he dislikes is bananas which I happily passed along onto him from my distastes ; ) Some faves: any meat but especially steak, cheese chunks, yogurt, lima beans, broccoli, mac & cheese, crackers, yogurt covered raisins, the list goes on & on! He stopped nursing a week before his birthday making me feel all sorts of emotions including sadness but glad to see what it feels like to not be providing nourishment for another (or two) which I have done for five & a half years without a break. So far, so good on enjoying my post baby/nursing body! Back to chubs, he figured out the sippy cup around his birthday & sucks down his milk pretty quickly. We phased out the bottles just before 13 months for both boys & it was so not a big deal like I thought it would be. I don't see his hunger going away anytime soon so I will keep up with the chopping & cooking! Whatever he eats it is by the fist full!

Anson's extra 3/4th inch gave him enough height to show a tiny bit of his leg making him look less like a "floating baby."  That little smirk kills me...

one last one with my handsome Anson & his hamster teeth as his daddy calls them...

My precious Anson,

I can't believe it has been a whole year since I saw you face to face in that operating room. We were shocked to see chubby cheeks knowing that you were still such a little guy! I loved you long before that moment & could not wait to have you in my arms.

We along with many others prayed that you would grow strong & healthy. The Lord answered that prayer & you came out crying & made tears stream down my face. Holding you & that twin brother of yours together for the first time was a moment I would love to experience a million times over.

Your growing & changing this past year from a teeny tiny five pound baby to a busy boy that loves to laugh has been a delight to take part in. You are an incredible gift from the Lord & we are praying that He would reveal himself to you as you grow & that you would give your life to serving him in whatever capacity He sees fit. 

Love,
Mommy