I'm Getting There...

So I have been taking pictures of our sweet girl Anders, I just haven't been posting them. A while back I was at hunting camp and I did a few posts but the Internet connection there wouldn't let me actually upload them. I meant to post them when I got home but well, didn't happen. So I just remembered and here they are! I'm going to try and catch up but since Anders is almost 8 months old now and on the blog we haven't even left the hospital yet-I've got a ways to go!! Hang in there and I'll do my best!! Spoiler alert!! She's even cuter now than she was 8 months ago!

Anderson Lillian Quinn

How blessed are we?


Anderson Lillian Quinn joined the family at 9:52am, July 19th. 8lbs. 15oz., 19 1/4 inches long. 'Anderson' comes from Percy's dad, John Anderson; and 'Lillian' comes from my maternal grandmother, Lillian Elizabeth, who passed away in September. Anders is doing great and we are all so thankful she is here and healthy. Chesley is a big fan of her little sister and we will be praying it stays that way! More pictures to follow!

ReRe's Pictures

Here are some of the pictures my dad took at the hospital. Since I was having a c-section there shouldn't be that long of a wait for those who came to the hospital, right? Wrong. Since Percy and I don't find out what we are having, and since I have carried this kiddo around for nine months I am not ok with Percy taking the baby out in the hall to show her off and tell everyone what she is and me miss the whole thing!! Sooo, Percy sent a text message once the baby is out and tells everyone that we're good but nothing else. Then they take me to recovery and the we all three go to our room. Once we are in our room we call the friends and family that are about to rebel and storm the nurse's station for information and tell them to come to the room. When they get there Percy is holding the baby and I am holding the video camera and Percy tells everyone what it is and what her name is. The only problem with this plan is that the part where I am in recovery- well, it lasts at least an hour. They have to observe me and the baby for a while and Anders had her first feeding and we just hung out. It was actually a really nice time in there since I felt great, as opposed to after having Chesley when the epidural made me throw up and then they knocked me out and then I kept shaking! So, while everyone is hanging out in the cafeteria, hating us!, we are just chilling in recovery getting to know Miss Anders! My parents are especially put out by this practice of mine. They claim it's because it's not nice to make everyone wait and that having the dad take the baby out is just how it's done! I think it has more to do with their own impatience to meet their newest grandchild than anything else-but tough. This is how Mama wants to do it, Daddy is totally on board and Anders was in full support! So these pictures- they are of the our family waiting in the cafeteria and I am about 99% sure that my dad told everyone to make mean faces and look like they are about to die from waiting! He won't admit to this but I think the pictures speak for themselves...

I don't think Alex got the memo, and Katie isn't really pulling it off. Mom, on the other hand, probably didn't have to work that hard...

Good try Gammy...

Anders, Day Two!

Day Two! And twice as cute! But night number one was not all that cute. I was about to lose my mind with all the nurses etc. coming in to wake me up every half hour! Anders did great! Nursed like a champ and was the only one waking me up that I wanted to see!

Anna came by to visit and brought precious Ann Austin too!

Ann Austin was super pumped to meet her future bud Anders!

Haaga meeting Anders-still can't believe she's leaving to move to Baton Rouge!!

Aunt BB, Bachelorettes, Sterile Gloves & More!

Aunt BB came by to meet Anders as soon as she got in town from Oxford. She was headed out the next day to go to Revere's bachelorette party. Brynnen is her maid of honor and I am her matron of honor. The matron of honor didn't quite make it to the big beach weekend! But I insisted on them sending me lots of pictures- which they did and which made for some interesting emails to keep me awake during middle of the night feedings...

Anders loves her Aunt BB already!

Ok a little backstory- the night I had Chesley and still couldn't get out of the bed- she pooped. Percy had never changed a diaper before so I called the nurses station to ask for a little assistance. After they finished laughing, they sent someone. She wasn't all that funny and was all business. She washed her hands, made Percy do the same. Put on sterile gloves, made Percy do the same. Then changed the diaper without really giving Percy a chance to help or even try. We didn't care- I was busy snapping pictures of Percy all 'gloved up' and with nothing to do! (Since he's changed a million since then- it's especially funny to think back to when he was a diaper novice!) Current day- Sweet Kate brought us some cupcakes to the hospital and at one point I asked Percy to bring me a chocolate one. I was busy chatting away with Brynnen and didn't notice until he brought it to me that he had 'gloved up' and grabbed a sterile paper cloth to carry the offensive chocolate cupcake in. Oh yeah- Percy HATES chocolate, which is so weird- but I put up with it since he can be pretty funny sometimes!

Visitors!

Some of Anders' first visitors...

Kate, who doesn't know it but is 16 days away from having her own baby burrito to hold!

Aunt Tilly

Ingrid aka E

ReRe

Aunt KooKoo

Aunt WooWoo

Grandy, (aka John Anderson- where we got 'Anderson'

Honey-who has six daughters, 2 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. I wouldn'te balme her if she just started calling Anders, '#18' or better yet- 'hey you!'

SISTERS!

This probably won't come as a surprise to anyone else with more than one child, but it did catch me off guard. I have been beboping along this whole pregnancy planning big girl room bedding and baby nursery colors, cleaning out car seats and making doctor appointments. I talked to Chesley all the time about her new baby brother or sister. She sang songs to the baby and prayed for the baby every night. So I was shocked when all it took was moving Chesley upstairs to her new big girl room (but still in her crib- she's happy in it and I'm thrilled she's happy in it- the longer she will gladly remain trapped the better!), to set off the biggest wave of guilt I've ever experienced. Percy and I both got pretty torn up about her moving out of her baby room and upstairs. And it was like I all of the sudden realized how much we were about to rock her world! The sensible part of me knew that the baby would only add to all of our lives and that giving Chesley a sibling was a wonderful gift. But everything in her life is all about her and that was about to change and I honestly just felt really bad about it! Thankfully, Chesley has been nothing but thrilled with her new sister and hasn't shown any jealousy- so far. She wants to love on Anders all of the time and asks to see her the second I go to get her up from her nap and in the morning. Mama isn't feeling quite so guilty anymore-just blessed.


The Big Sister.

As Percy brought her into the room there were 12 people staring at her with big goofy grins on their faces.

I think she was a little bit in shock!

Melt my heart, the first thing my sweet girl did when Percy brought her in the room was scream, 'Mommy', and grab my cheeks for a big kiss.

And then she noticed Anders...

Almost my entire pregnancy Chesley said the baby would be a girl. When Chesley was looking at Anders for the very first time it went like this:

Us: Chesley, Mommy had the baby.

Chesley: What is it?

Us: What's it look like?

Chesley: A Boy!

Us: Nope, it's a girl.

Chesley: MY BABY! (and she dove in for the first of a thousand hugs she has given her little sister since their first meeting).

Big sister fell in love as fast as we did.

It's a bit surreal.

She's a fan.

Sweetest picture I may possess.

Who knows what she is saying her but she looks very passionate about it!

Anders had a gift for Chesley...

It was a cradle for her baby doll, so far she has not succeeded in putting her sister in it-yet.

Chesley gave Anders an outfit we picked out together a few weeks ago, (she picked a boy and girl outfit and the store owner who knew what I was having wrapped up the correct gender outfit for us to take with us for Chesley to give her new baby sister.)

Pretty sure she likes it.

Yep, I wasn't allowed anything but clear fluids all day long but my mom brings a burger into my room. Sweet.

Chesley wanted to give her little sis a white chocolate covered Oreo that Ingrid brought us. Not sure how KooKoo convinced her Anders would not be eating it but I am fairly confident Anders had not yet tasted an Oreo.

Aunt Lindsey came by to cuddle with her newest niece!

Chesley leaked through her diaper the first time Uncle Buck held her, thankfully Anders decided not to take a page out of her big sister's book!

They look so innocent holding my sweet baby, but that man has already given Chesley a BB gun and a live rabbit. Casey hasn't really participated in these acts but she doesn't really try and stop her husband either... They aren't to be trusted.

Chesley saw that Mama, Daddy, and baby Anders had on 'brace-wets' and she had to have one too! The nurses in the nursery made her her very own I.D. bracelet which she thought was beyond cool.

No clue what she's looking at but had to include this picture anyway.